Run
by CajunWitch
Summary: Hermione leaves the wizarding world to work on a ranch in Montana. Tragedy strikes and she goes back to the wizarding world, where she is comforted by the last person she would've imagined-Draco Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Run**

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing related to Harry Potter; it all belongs to the wonderful Ms. J.K. Rowling.**

**Call me crazy, but I was inspired by George Strait's song "Run" for this story. It's about a year after the war and Hermione decides to take a job at a muggle working and dude ranch in Montana, which is owned by close friends of her parents, Joe and Nancy Landers. Hermione finally thinks she's found her place in the world until tragedy strikes. This leads her back to the wizarding world and into the arms of a certain Slytherin.**

_Baby run, cut a path across the blue skies  
Straight in a straight line  
You can't get here fast enough-"Run" by George Strait_

"You know that you can get in touch with us at any time, even if it's just to hear a familiar voice" Ron said as he placed her suitcase near the airline's counter.

Hermione smiled at her good friend and hugged him. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. I know you and Harry think I'm bonkers, but I feel like this is something I have to do."

"We don't think you're bonkers Hermione, we're being selfish. We wish you were staying here, but I understand you have your reasons," Harry said and hugged her tightly, as Ron nodded in agreement.

The two young men, Hermione's best friends since their first year at Hogwarts, had accompanied her to Heathrow Airport in London. They were there to see her off to a new job and life in Big Sky, Montana. The three friends had been through so much together in the past year. Hermione and Ron had assisted Harry with his search to find the horcruxes which eventually led to the demise of the evil wizard Voldemort and put an end to the wizarding war.

After the war ended, Hermione had felt as if she was living in a world that threatened to swallow her whole. She, along with Harry and Ron, were proclaimed "The Golden Trio" by the wizarding world. When the war first ended, the press hounded them constantly. According to the press, the wizarding world wanted to know their every move. Hermione hated it and eventually went back to the muggle world, where she was only known as ordinary Hermione Granger. Every time the three friends tried to go out, even if it was to run a simple errand, they were being photographed. Thankfully, the attention began to taper off after a few months. Harry and Ron had made the front page of The Daily Prophet a few weeks ago because they had been accepted into the prestigious Auror program, but other than that the press left them alone.

The two young men waved to Hermione as she walked through the airline gate with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Granger. She, along with her parents smiled and waved back. They watched until they couldn't see them anymore and slowly walked out of the airport.

"Do you think she's doing the right thing?" Ron asked.

"I honestly don't know. My only wish is that Hermione can find peace and happiness. This past year has been rough on her," Harry replied.

"I know. Sometimes I think it's my fault. Maybe I should've worked harder to make a go of it with her," Ron said regretfully.

"Don't say that Ron. I truly don't believe it's about your failed relationship. You and Hermione tried, but I think you both realized you were better off as friends. Hermione is going to come back to our world one day; being a witch has been such a huge part of her life for a number of years. She just needs a break," Harry answered.

"I think you're right Harry, but I'll miss her. One day we'll get our 'Mione back. Hey, are you hungry?" Ron asked, his stomach growling.

Harry grinned and shook his head. "I was wondering when you'd mention food. Come on, I know where there's a great muggle diner."

Mr. and Mrs. Granger watched their only child board the plane that would take her to the United States. They were sad to see her go, but glad that Hermione seemed happier than she'd been in months. When Mrs. Granger's longtime friend, Nancy Landers called her one day and asked if Hermione would be interested in working as a guide at their dude ranch, Jane Granger wasn't sure what Hermione's response would be. After finishing her conversation with Nancy, Jane told her daughter about what Nancy had offered. She was pleasantly surprised when Hermione perked up and wanted to know more about the position. The Grangers had visited Nancy and her husband, Joe's ranch, Daisy Springs, many times since Hermione was a little girl. Hermione had always loved it there; she rode her first horse when she was 3 years old and was hooked. When she and her family vacationed there, Hermione had even participated in the barrel racing events at the amateur rodeos held at the ranch. Whenever she was home from Hogwarts, she kept up with her riding at a local stable and even gave riding lessons. Daisy was also a working ranch with horses and cattle, so she had also participated in cattle drives. She couldn't believe it when her mother approached her about Nancy's offer. She had been pondering what she was going to do with her life. Hermione had been offered many positions within the Ministry of Magic, but there wasn't anything that appealed to her. She was thinking about taking a few classes at one of the local muggle universities in London, when this job offer popped up.

After a few phone calls to Nancy and email correspondences, Hermione was all set to begin her new career at Daisy Springs. She couldn't wait to breathe in the clean mountain air and take in the gorgeous mountainous landscape again. Hermione was going to be working as a tour guide for the tourists who would be vacationing at Daisy Springs. Nancy and Joe knew Hermione would be perfect for the job. There wasn't a horse Hermione couldn't handle and she knew the trails of Daisy Springs like the back of her hand.

It was the middle of May; the tourist season was set to begin in the last week of that month and would end in early September. Joe and Nancy always had a huge Labor Day celebration, an American holiday. When the tourist season ended, the ranch continued to operate, since Joe and Nancy also bred the cattle and horses to be sold. Joe and Nancy had run the ranch for over 20 years and were always on the lookout for hardworking good people for employees; Hermione fit the bill perfectly. They couldn't wait for the young woman they had watched grow up to arrive. Since they had no children, she was like one of their own.

Hermione took a deep breath as she disembarked from the plane at the airport in Bozeman, Montana. Bozeman was about an hour away from Big Sky, but it was the closest airport. She looked around for Joe or Nancy, but didn't see either one. Hermione walked a little further and then stopped. There was a middle-aged gentleman dressed in faded jeans and tucked-in denim Wrangler work shirt. He was of medium height with a stocky build and had curly salt and pepper hair with a receding hairline. Looking at him, it was easy to tell that he was a true rancher by his worn boots and the weathered neutral colored suede cowboy hat he was holding in his hand. When he saw Hermione his face lit up with a wide grin.

"Well hey there little filly from across the pond! Don't just stand there, we got work waiting for us," the man said in a booming voice. The other passengers in the airport terminal gave him strange looks as they walked by.

"Pat! It's been ages since I've seen you, how have you been?" Hermione asked as she hugged him. Pat Morton was the overseer of Daisy Springs and had worked for the Landers since they began their business. Along with Joe and Nancy, he had taught Hermione everything there was to know about the ranch. He had given Hermione her first riding lessons and got her started with the barrel racing. Before coming to the ranch, Pat had been a rising star within the pro rodeo circuit. He had been an expert bull rider until a tragic run-in with a 1500 pound bull named Big Mike almost caused him to lose his life. The bones in his right leg had been shattered after the bull had tossed him in the air as if he was a rag doll and he collided into the stands. Pat considered himself fortunate to still have use of his leg, although he did walk with a pronounced limp. This didn't stop him; he was still one of the most productive employees at the ranch. He was someone Hermione looked up to and admired.

They gathered Hermione's luggage and walked out of the terminal to where Pat's truck was parked. Hermione smiled when she saw the red heavy-duty Ford crew cab. It was nice to ride in the spacious truck; brooms just didn't do it for her anymore. The hour long drive went by quickly as she and Pat chatted. He brought her up to date on everything that had been going on at the ranch. He was also thrilled that Hermione wanted to continue barrel racing. Although he could no longer participate in rodeos, he still loved being a part of it.

They arrived at Daisy Springs and Hermione was glad to see that it was gorgeous as ever. Pat drove up to the main house and parked the truck. As soon as he and Hermione dismounted from the truck, they were greeted by Joe and Nancy. The couple hugged Hermione tightly and helped carry the few pieces of luggage she had. Joe and Pat went off to see about their duties on the ranch, leaving the women alone.

"Did you have a good trip? We're thrilled that you're here," Nancy said as they walked over to the cabin where Hermione would be residing.

"It went very well, thanks. It's so good to be back. Gosh, I missed breathing in this clean air. There's truly no other place on earth like this," Hermione said happily, breathing deeply.

Nancy smiled and patted her on the back. She felt the same way as Hermione; she couldn't imagine being anywhere else but Daisy Springs. She had left a prestigious job in advertising when she was swept off of her feet by Joe Landers. Nancy left the bright lights of Billings, Montana and never looked back. She came from a wealthy background; Nancy had attended school in London, which is where she'd met Hermione's mother. When the young women graduated, Nancy went back to Montana, but they kept in touch through the years. Jean Granger was not at all shocked when Nancy left behind her privileged life to marry Joe and run the ranch. Her friend had always had a rebellious streak and money never meant anything to her. Love came first.

Hermione and Nancy made it to the cabin. Nancy made sure Hermione had everything she needed and then left so she could settle in and start unpacking. Hermione put away all of her belongings and decided to take a shower. She was a bit jetlagged from the long flight, so it was going to be early night. She was also going to start working the next morning, so she wanted to make sure she was well-rested. Although Daisy Springs had a rustic feel and look to it, the ranch was equipped with all the modern conveniences, so Hermione was able to hook up her laptop computer. Before she went to bed, she typed a quick email to Harry to let him know that she'd made it safely and all was well. She knew that Harry would pass along the message to Ron. Harry loved muggle technology, but Ron was still a bit wary of it.

The next morning, Hermione changed into jeans, a light blue short-sleeved cotton blouse which was embroidered with the Daisy Springs brand, a Daisy flower. She paired her outfit with a pair of well-worn Frye cowboy boots; she'd had them since she was sixteen years old. Pulling her hair into a neat bun on top of her head, she pushed a brown suede cowboy hat over it. Taking one last look in the mirror, Hermione smiled at her reflection. She was ready to tackle this new chapter of her life.

Hermione had been working at the ranch for about two weeks and everything was going well. She had led two tours with Pat; Pat was so happy with her skills that he recommended to Joe and Nancy that Hermione should be able to lead her own tours. Even though she was young, Pat knew Hermione could handle the responsibility and could be trusted.

It was her third week of work and Hermione was finally leading her own tour. Her group consisted of 10 people, a middle-aged couple with two teenagers, another middle-aged couple, two young men in their early 20s, and a couple who appeared to be in their 30's. Hermione made sure that everything was in place so they could begin the tour. She started to lead the group down the trail when she noticed the 30-something couple seemed to be lagging behind. One of the stipulations that Joe and Nancy made before someone could go on this tour was that the individual had to have prior horseback riding experience. This did not seem to be the case with this couple because they were struggling to control their horses. Hermione halted the tour so she could find out the problem. As she got closer to the couple, there seemed to be something familiar about them. It finally dawned on Hermione; the "couple" was really two reporters from The Daily Prophet. How the hell had they found her? This was not good.

Hermione pursed her lips and glared at the reporters. No one at the ranch knew that she was a witch and she wanted to keep it that way. She contacted Pat and told him the couple was having trouble with riding. Pat was there in a few minutes and took over the tour, while Hermione brought the reporters and the horses back to the stables. When they reached the stables and she had made sure no one else was there, Hermione lit into them.

"How in Merlin's name did you know where to find me?" Hermione asked in an incredulous manner.

"Ms. Granger, please calm down. We aren't here to harass you," said the female reporter, whose name was Loren Tibbets. She had only been with The Daily Prophet for about 4 years and was trying to make a name for herself. An exclusive on Hermione Granger would definitely boost her up in the hierarchy of The Daily Prophet.

"Well, why are you here? Did I win the Wizard Sweepstakes?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "Look, you need to leave. No one here knows about my magical background. I'm living as a muggle and I'm just plain Hermione Granger."

"Ms. Granger we won't take much of your time. We just did a piece on Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. The public was thrilled to find out that part of The Golden Trio was joining the Auror division. We received a very positive response to the story, but there were also many requests as to what you were doing with your life, so here we are," said the male reporter in what he hoped was a charming tone. He was named Angus Ledgerband and had been with The Daily Prophet for the last 10 years. He was a very seasoned reporter and knew that a story on Hermione Granger would be a real feather in his cap.

Hermione looked at the two reporters and gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine, you have 15 minutes and then I need to get back to work. I'm agreeing to this on the condition that I'm never bothered again by The Daily Prophet. As soon as you leave I'll be putting up wards around the ranch. I'm serious; I want to be left alone."

The two reporters giddily agreed to her terms; they were beyond thrilled that Hermione Granger was actually going to grant them an interview. She had been so reclusive in the past year and they had only been able to get a few pictures of her, never an interview. This scoop was really going to boost sales of The Daily Prophet. As the interview proceeded, Hermione was surprised to find out how professional and well-prepared Angus and Loren were. She was a little put off by the way they'd snuck up on her, but at least they had a list of questions to ask and the interview took less than the 15 minutes she'd allotted them. Hermione actually apologized to them when they were about to leave.

"Look I'm sorry about my brusque manner earlier, it's just that you caught me off-guard," Hermione said.

"No worries Ms. Granger, we apologize to for barging in on you like this. I'm just glad that we didn't have to go through with the tour. Merlin, I've seen pictures of horses, but never got this close to one, much less have to ride the beast!" Angus replied.

They laughed at this and promised to send a copy of The Daily Prophet as soon as the story came out. Hermione waved goodbye to them as they left in an airport shuttle van. There was no way to disapparate in this area. She was glad that no one at the ranch seemed to notice Angus and Loren while they were there. Slowly but surely traces of her former life were going away.

As promised, about two weeks later Hermione received a copy of The Daily Prophet. It was delivered by a bald eagle. She winced when she saw that she'd made the front page. Along with the story, there was a picture of her riding one of the ranch's Palominos, a horse named Treasure. Treasure was one of her favorite horses and she also rode the filly for barrel racing. Hermione was a bit embarrassed at what she was wearing when the picture was snapped. Apparently the reporters had been staying at the ranch for a few days before she met them on her tour and she never noticed that pictures were being taken. It had been a warm day and she was wearing a red camisole and well-worn Levis, along with her cowboy hat and boots. She was embarrassed at being dressed so casually, wondering in the back of her mind if members of the wizarding world were going to think she was tacky. If only she knew how fetching and beautiful she looked in that picture. Most of the male wizarding population was very taken with the photo and many young wizards had it hanging on their walls. That issue of The Daily Prophet had been one of the bestselling copies ever.

Draco Malfoy was so sick of hearing about The Golden Trio. Like he gave a happy fuck that Potty and Weaselbee were going to become Aurors. _Whoop-tee-freak-in-do, _Draco had thought when he had read the story about them. Deep down he knew that the wizarding world owed everything to Harry's bravery, but it was difficult to accept. As far as Draco was concerned, Harry owed his life to Draco's mother, Narcissa, but no one wanted to hear that story. He knew that he and his family were extremely fortunate to have fared as well as they did since the war ended. They had to pay stiff penalties and contributed great amounts of funding to rebuild Hogwarts. Draco was working his tail off to keep the family business, Malfoy Industries afloat. After being pardoned for their roles in the last wizarding war, his parents kept a low profile. Everything fell on Draco's shoulders. Sometimes he thought about how nice it would be if life was easy as it seemed for The Golden Trio.

While he was having breakfast one Sunday morning, the owl dropped off the Sunday edition of The Daily Prophet. Draco almost spit out his pumpkin juice when he saw the cover. His eyes rolled and he gave a humorless laugh. Merlin, would it ever stop? It was bad enough having to look at Potty and Weaselbee's mugs a few weeks ago, now he had to have his breakfast ruined by seeing Hermione Granger on the front page. Draco threw the paper aside and went back to his breakfast, but it wasn't long before his curiosity got the best of him. No one needed to know that he was somewhat interested in knowing what Granger was doing these days. He had been certain that the "insufferable know-it-all" as the late Professor Snape had referred to her, would've gone on to some lofty position at the Ministry. Whenever he had business at the Ministry, he always made it a point to look at their personnel directory. He wanted to find her name and go to her department to file a complaint or do something to rile her up. Ever since Granger punched him in their 3rd year at Hogwarts, he had always wanted to get even with her, but she always seemed to slip away.

Draco looked at the photo of Granger on that monstrous thing muggles called a horse. As he looked at the photo of Granger riding the animal and took in the rise and fall of her small breasts in the camisole she was wearing, he felt a stirring in his pants. Draco looked away from the paper and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. There was no way an image of Granger was giving him a hard-on. He got up from the table and went to his bedroom. It had been some time since he'd had sex. It wasn't from lack of female attention; although the Malfoy name was tarnished, women still were very attracted to Draco. He liked the interest the women showed in him and in the first few months after the war, he definitely took advantage of bedding any one of them who were willing. But in the last few months or so, no one had really caught his fancy. This was why he was so shocked when he felt an erection looking at the picture of Granger. Merlin, he needed to get out more.

**Just thought it would be cool to set a story in the muggle ranching and rodeo world. This one was stuck in my head and it'll be fun to see where I can take it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Run**

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing related to Harry Potter; it all belongs to the wonderful Ms. J.K. Rowling.**

Hermione was thankful that after the run-in with the two reporters from The Daily Prophet, the summer went by without incident. With each passing day, she knew she'd made the right decision by coming to Daisy Springs. She couldn't believe how quickly the summer had gone by. Joe and Nancy were having their annual Labor Day bash this weekend. Hermione was looking forward to it, but she also felt a little bittersweet. It was going to be the end of the tours until the following year. She knew she wouldn't have time to dwell on it because she had a full schedule the following week. She and Pat, along with the rest of the year-round staff were going to do a thorough cleanup of the whole ranch. This including anything that needed to be repaired or replaced in the cabins and the grounds. Although she was going to miss leading the tours, Hermione was excited. She and Pat had been working on her barrel racing techniques over the summer and her time had really improved. She was planning on entering the competition at the local rodeo, which was going to be taking place in a few weeks. She probably wasn't going to win anything, but Hermione didn't care. She just loved the rodeo atmosphere and the adrenaline rush she got when she took off on her horse.

Draco sipped on his drink and surveyed the party scene in front of him. He was attending a cocktail party a local apothecary shop was hosting in Diagon Alley. The shop was promoting innovative potions which had just been developed. Draco sighed and looked around the room; he had a decision to make. As he thought about what he was going to do, someone sidled up next to him.

"Deciding who's going to warm your bed tonight?" Pansy Parkinson Chalmers asked sarcastically.

Draco grinned as he turned to his good friend and former Slytherin classmate. "You know me too well Pans."

"Draco, when are you going to settle down?" Pansy asked and sighed.

"Pansy not all of us want to settle down and start a family before we turn 20 years old. Maybe I'm still waiting for the love of my life," Draco chuckled.

"What am I going to do with you? It would be nice for my child's godfather to at least have a steady girlfriend," Pansy replied as she rubbed a hand over her expanding belly. She was eight months pregnant and couldn't wait to be a mother. She had met Roald Chalmers, a wizard who was a few years older, through her work as a potions mixer in the local apothecary. He was her supervisor and they fell madly in love. They had been married for a little over the year and were so excited for their baby. Pansy had dated Draco when they were still at Hogwarts, but as they grew older they decided they were better off as friends. She loved Draco like a brother and couldn't think of a better godparent for her unborn child. _If only he wouldn't sleep around so much, _Pansy thought as she watched him checking out Roald's fetching blond cousin, Desiree. She was relieved when Draco had slowed down in the last few months, not sleeping with any decent witch in their age range, but in the last few weeks he was back to his old ways. Pansy wondered what had spurred him into being a tomcat on the prowl again.

"I think I've found a suitable candidate for tonight," Draco said as he made a beeline for Desiree.

Pansy mentally shook her head as she walked back to her husband's side. She smiled as she listened to him excitedly describe a new potion to make headaches disappear. When he saw her, Roald pulled her close to him and kissed her cheek, as he continued to speak. Pansy watched as Draco made his way to Desiree's side. It didn't take long before Desiree's pretty face was flushed and she giggled at the things Draco was telling her. Pansy could've kicked herself as she watched this exchange because it just hit her that she would have to bear the brunt when Draco broke Desiree's heart. She wondered if maybe she could stop the exchange, but knew it was too late when Draco walked out with Desiree. Pansy just knew that she was going to receive an owl from Desiree at the end of the week, bearing news of not hearing from Draco and he wouldn't return any of her owls, blah, blah, blah. Oh would the Draco cycle ever end? Merlin knows it was going to be an extraordinary witch who could make Draco Malfoy finally settle down.

It was finally the day of the local rodeo and Hermione's heart was beating fast as she waited for her number to be called. She was at the gate astride her horse Treasure, and she was nervous as hell. She had watched the other barrel racers ahead of her and all of the young women did well. When her number was called, along with her name and Treasure's, Hermione briefly glanced into the stands and smiled when she saw Pat give her the thumbs-up sign. She let out the breath she was holding as she and Treasure shot out into the arena.

About an hour later, still shocked and stunned, Hermione couldn't believe she had placed second! All of the hard work with Pat had paid off. Treasure truly was a treasure of a horse; it was if she and Hermione were one. Pat, along with Joe and Nancy, were waiting for her as soon as she received a trophy and a cash award. They congratulated her and were ecstatic about Hermione placing in the event. They decided to celebrate at the local bar and restaurant, Tubby's Happy Trails. This was a rite of passage for Hermione because this was the first time she was going to be entering the establishment. It was a tradition for all of the local rodeo participants to go there to celebrate when the rodeo ended.

When they entered Tubby's, they were greeted by Tubby himself, as he led them to a table. Hermione took in the atmosphere around her and decided it wasn't too far off from that of The Leaky Cauldron or The Three Broomsticks, minus the wizards and witches of course! After they ordered food and drinks, Hermione excused herself to the ladies room. When she was done, she exited the stall and came face to face with the young woman who had beaten her time by 3 seconds. The young woman was applying lipstick as she stared into the mirror. She watched as Hermione washed and dried her hands, and then looked at Hermione, smirking.

"Ha, beat you bitch!" the young woman exclaimed.

Hermione put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Only by 3 seconds whore!" she exclaimed back.

The young woman grinned and grabbed Hermione in a bear hug. "I was so surprised when I saw your name on the roster! Are you at Daisy Springs?"

Hermione nodded and hugged her back. She explained to the young woman, Raylene Devlin, about how she was a permanent employee at Daisy Springs and was now living in the States. Raylene's family owned Devlin Farms which was located about an hour away from Big Sky. She and Hermione had come to know each other through the years when they showed up at barrel racing events. Hermione had always liked Raylene; she had meant to look her up when she arrived at Daisy Springs, but there was always something pressing to do at the ranch. Now that she had met up with Raylene, Hermione decided to put forth more of an effort. She missed having a good friend to hang out with and share secrets. They walked out of the ladies room together and chatted. The young women exchanged emails and cell phone numbers. They made plans to meet in Big Sky for dinner later in the week.

When she arrived back at the table, Joe and Nancy had stepped away from the table to dance. There was a country and western band playing covers of recent hits. As she sat down, Pat winked at her and rose from the table. He went over to a redhead he'd been eyeing for the past few minutes. Pat asked her to dance and the woman smiled, nodding as Pat led her to the dance floor. Hermione laughed to herself because she had been "abandoned." She decided to find Raylene.

Raylene was at the bar with a few rodeo participants, including barrel riders and bull riders. When Hermione walked up, Raylene grabbed her and introduced her to everyone. As she was trying to remember everyone's names, she was momentarily shocked when she came face to face with what had to be the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Raylene smiled when she saw Hermione's expression.  
"Hermione Granger, I'd like you to meet Rory Matthew. He placed first today in his bull riding division."

"Nice to meet you Miss Granger. I was watching you ride earlier, you did a good job," Rory said as he took a sip of his long-necked bottle of beer.

As soon as Hermione regained her composure, she answered him. "Good to meet you too. You were amazing on that bull," she answered and then could have kicked herself. She hoped she didn't sound like an idiot. _Damn, I thought he looked cute from far, but I never would've imagined he was this freaking good-looking. He is one long, cool drink of water, _Hermione thought. No guy had caught her interest since her ill-fated romance with Ron. Rory Matthew was sending flutters through her that she had not felt in a long time. He had wavy light brown hair that curled slightly on the ends and a movie star handsome face, along with dimples when he smiled. Pair that face with his 6'0 foot wiry frame that looked incredible in Wrangler jeans, Rory Matthew was probably what every woman dreamed of when she fantasized about a sexy cowboy riding off with her off into the sunset.

Rory nodded and smiled as took another swallow from his beer. When he was done, he placed the beer on the bar behind him. He smiled at Hermione and she thought she was going to melt. _Is he going to ask me to dance? _she thought excitedly. Her excitement faded when Rory walked up to a pretty platinum-haired cowgirl who was sitting a few stools away from them. Hermione watched as Rory said something right into the young woman's ear. The young woman smiled and rose from the bar stool, taking Rory's hand as she followed him to the dance floor.

Hermione mentally shrugged. Obviously Rory Matthew was way out of her league and sent out a loud and clear message that he was not interested. She went over to talk to Raylene and she introduced Hermione to her boyfriend, Dave Martindale. She loved the contrast between Raylene and Dave. Raylene was 5'2 feet tall and weighed about 100 pounds, with long, curly honey blond hair and expressive green eyes. Hermione guessed Dave had to be at least 6'2 feet tall and probably weighed around 220 pounds. With his jet black hair and eyes and tanned complexion, she wasn't at all surprised when she found out Dave was a descendent of the Blackfeet Indian tribe. His family had been involved with the rodeo circuit for a few generations. Dave was a bull rider like Rory. Like Hermione, he had also placed second in his division.

Chatting for a few more minutes, Hermione went back to her table. She was glad to see that the food had arrived. She enjoyed her meal with Pat and the Sanders. When they were done, they headed back to Daisy Springs. As they left Tubby's, Hermione looked towards the dance floor and saw Rory dancing with a different girl. Rory Matthew was definitely easy on the eyes and she would've liked to get to know him better, but he seemed to be quite the playboy. Hermione figured she'd be better off forgetting about some guy who would never be interested in her and concentrate on her barrel racing and ranch duties.

Draco woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed. As he looked around the room, he remembered going home with the pretty blond who was sleeping peacefully beside him. He carefully moved out of the bed and started to gather his clothes, which had been strewn in different corners of the room. As soon as he had his clothes, he stepped into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door carefully so he wouldn't make noise. He dressed quickly and exited the bathroom with his shoes in his hands. Draco tiptoed out and was relieved to see the young woman was still asleep. He managed to leave the apartment and as soon as he was in the hall, he slipped his shoes on. Draco left the apartment building and thought about the notch he just added to his belt. Desiree was a beautiful witch and he enjoyed their time together, but one night was as far as it would go. He sometimes wondered why he had so many one-night stands; it was as if Draco was looking for something when he encountered these women. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he held a belief that when the right woman would come along, he'd know instantly. Maybe he was setting his expectations too high and such a woman didn't exist. Part of him knew that Pansy was right and he couldn't keep having all of these one-night stands, but he just hadn't found any woman he could stand to be around longer than a few hours of meaningless sex.

It was Wednesday afternoon when Hermione received a text message from Raylene.

_Do you want to meet for dinner tonight? I know it's kind of short notice, but I just found out we're leaving tomorrow morning for a horse show in Denver. Let me know!_

Hermione smiled as she read the message and texted back.

_No worries. How about we meet at 6:00 pm at Tubby's?_

Within minutes, Hermione's phone beeped with Raylene's reply.

_Great! I'll meet you there._

Since she started working at 6:30 a.m. every morning, Hermione's day ended at 4 p.m. so she had plenty of time to get ready for dinner. She loved the casual atmosphere of Daisy Springs and Big Sky. Hermione liked that she was able to slip into a pair of jeans and a green long-sleeved plaid button down shirt to go out to dinner. Western wear was definitely the uniform in these parts. She was able to borrow Pat's truck to go into town since the ranch was about 10 miles away. As she left Daisy Springs, Hermione decided she was going to have to look into getting her own vehicle. She couldn't keep borrowing Pat's or the Sander's vehicles.

When she arrived at Tubby's, Raylene was already there and she waved to Hermione. Tubby's was much quieter during the week compared to the weekend.

"Oh man, I couldn't wait for you to get here! I have something quite interesting to tell you," Raylene said excitedly.

Hermione gave a small grin and raised her eyebrows. "Okay, I guess I'm ready," she said hesitantly.

"Look at you! You look like I told you we were going to have to euthanize Treasure or something like that! I had the most fascinating phone call today. Someone was asking about you," Raylene said smugly and sipped on her frozen strawberry margarita as the waitress set one down in front of Hermione.

Hermione was a little startled to see the drink in front of her and mumbled a thank you to the waitress. Raylene noticed and patted her hand. "I hope you don't mind I took the liberty of ordering a drink for you. These margaritas are amazing!" Hermione shook her head as she took a sip. _Wow I wasn't expecting to taste so much tequila in one sip, _she thought. "Not at all," she replied as she put the drink aside. Hermione had to drive back to the ranch and couldn't risk drinking. "You're right; this is amazing and so refreshing! So who was asking about me?"

Raylene was one who loved dramatic gestures. She lowered her voice and flattened her hands on the table. Raising her eyebrows for emphasis, and looking directly at Hermione, she answered "Rory Matthew. You made quite an impression on him the other night."

Hermione sat back in her chair and began to laugh. "You've got to be kidding. Raylene, he only said a few words to me and then went off to dance with other girls. Nice try, but I don't believe you."

"I'm telling you I would not make something like this up! I was so shocked when he called me. I've known Rory for a few years and we're friendly when we see each other at the rodeos, but this is the first time he's ever contacted me at home. He wanted to know everything about you. I had to fight the urge to throw up when he kept going on about how sexy your accent was!" Raylene giggled.

Hermione had a look of disbelief on her face. "Really? I certainly was not expecting to hear something like this. I had written Rory Matthew off as a playboy. He looks like he gets around and can probably get any girl he wants."

"Well maybe you need to show him you aren't an easy catch. He wanted your number and I told him I didn't feel comfortable giving it to him until I spoke to you. There's something very sweet and natural about you Hermione and I think he picked up on that. Rory is used to women throwing themselves at him and that's so not you. So do you want me to give him your number, or I can give you his and you can give him a call," Raylene replied with a big grin.

Hermione blushed slightly when Raylene made the remark about her being sweet and natural. No one except Ginny, Ron's sister, Harry, and Ron knew that she was still a virgin. She and Ron had come close a few times, but something always held Hermione back. It just didn't feel right. Sometimes she wondered if there was something wrong with her. Here she was, 19 years old and had never slept with a man. She knew Raylene had lost her virginity a few summers ago because she had filled Hermione in on all of the details when they were 15 years old.

"I'm not calling Rory Matthew. If he's so interested he can call me," Hermione said. She couldn't believe she had caught the eye of the good-looking cowboy. She felt that fluttery feeling in her stomach again when she thought about his cute butt. She had no idea what she was going to do if he asked her out on a date.

"So it's settled. I'll give Mr. Matthew your digits and you can make a love connection, woohoo!" Raylene exclaimed.

"Keep it down! People are looking at us," Hermione hissed but was laughing.

Raylene snorted. "Pfft if people in this town aren't used to me whooping and hollering by now, then the hell with them," she said as she downed the rest of her frozen margarita.

The young women enjoyed the rest of their dinner. Hermione sipped on her margarita and eventually ordered a soft drink. She was driving back to the ranch and didn't want to be inebriated. She became concerned when Raylene started on her fourth margarita and thought she was going to have to bring her friend home. When they were almost done with dinner, Dave came in, greeted Hermione, and smiled when he saw how looped Raylene was.

"Okay darling, time for us to get home. Tomorrow morning will be there before you know it," Dave said as he helped Raylene up from her chair.

"For a while there I thought I was going to have to bring her home. Wow, for as little as she is she can sure throw back the alcohol," Hermione said in amazement.

"Hermione, you let me know as soon as you hear from Mr. Wonderful, I want to know every fucking detail!" Raylene said, slurring slightly.

Hermione nodded in agreement and watched as Dave held up her friend. Dave looked at Hermione and mouthed, "Just how many margaritas did she have?"

Hermione held up four fingers and raised her eyebrows. Dave shook his head and started to walk with Raylene to the exit. Hermione protested when Dave insisted on paying their bill and leaving the tip for their waitress.

"Dave, I can't let you do that," Hermione said as she tried to give him money.

Dave shook his head. "Put that money away darling. My treat. I'm glad that Raylene has someone to hang out with. Sometimes we get so involved with the horses and the rodeos, we forget what it's like to cut loose and enjoy life."

"Thank you Dave. I'm glad to be her friend and yours. I'm going to keep what you said in mind, that's a pretty cool outlook," Hermione replied and smiled.

"Yeah, I think that should be everyone's philosophy on life. Are you okay to get home?" Dave asked.

"I'm fine, I only had a few sips of the margarita. I suppose I'll see or talk to you later Raylene?" Hermione asked.

"Most definitely my friend. Come on my big sweet cuddle bear," Raylene said and giggled as she nuzzled Dave.

Hermione watched them walk out and smiled sadly. Dave and Raylene looked happy and comfortable together. Would she ever find that with someone?

She knew it was too good to be true. Hermione didn't really wait by the phone, but she kept checking her cell phone over the weekend to see if there were any missed calls. Not a word from Rory Matthew. Well the hell with that cheesy spaghetti western cowboy if he thought she was going to call him. Who was she kidding? Hermione would never admit this to anyone, but she sure was disappointed that she hadn't heard from him. When Raylene had returned from Denver on Sunday, she came to visit Hermione at Daisy Springs. Hermione was in a large barn putting out fresh hay for the horses and checking their stalls. Raylene followed her as she worked.

"You mean to tell me that asshole never called you? I called him Thursday afternoon and he sounded so happy on the phone when I gave him your number! I was positive he was going to call to ask you out this weekend. That vile sack of chicken shit!" Raylene said and expelled a few more colorful expletives.

"Raylene, it's no big deal. He probably changed his mind or maybe something came up. Come on how can we be upset about something that never happened?" Hermione asked and smiled at her friend who was still cussing up a storm.

Raylene quit cursing and huffed out a breath. "I'm sorry for all that but damn Hermione. Maybe something did happen, because Rory was sure gung-ho for your number."

"It's no big deal. I doubt I'll die of heartbreak because the Rory Matthew didn't call me," Hermione laughed as she rolled her eyes and put her hands on her heart.

"Well darling I sure can't have you dying of heartbreak, so I decided to come out here so I can get another look at those gorgeous brown eyes," Rory Matthew drawled as he walked towards Hermione and Raylene.

Hermione turned towards Raylene and mouthed "Shit," as her face reddened.

Raylene backed into an empty stall so Rory couldn't see her giggling. She and Hermione wondered how much of their conversation Rory had overheard. From the shit-eating grin on his face, he had probably gotten quite an earful.

Hermione turned to look at Rory and wanted to find a hole to hide in, she was so embarrassed. Not only because of what she and Raylene had been saying, but also because she was in her rattiest pair of jeans and an old long-sleeved T-shirt that had belonged to her dad. She decided to make the best of the situation, so she smiled. "Hello Rory, I sure wasn't expecting to see you."

Rory threw his head back and laughed. "I bet I was the last person you and Ms. Raylene expected to see!"

Raylene came out of the stall and grinned sheepishly. "Hey Rory, nice seeing you. I guess I'll be going now."

"I'll be right back Rory, I'll just walk Raylene out," Hermione said quickly as she walked out of the barn with her friend.

As soon as she was sure they were out of earshot, Hermione began to panic a little. "Raylene, what do I do? You never told me he'd come here!"

"I didn't know he'd show up either! I thought he was going to call you. Look, get back in there and just be you. You'll be fine. Call me as soon as you can!" Raylene said excitedly as she climbed into Dave's black late-model 4-wheel drive Chevrolet crew cab truck.

Hermione waved to Raylene and walked back into the barn where Rory was waiting. When she walked in, she was touched to see him affectionately rubbing one of the horses on its mane. He looked up when he heard Hermione and shot her that smile that made her "oh so weak" in the knees. She was nervous, but she decided to be straightforward with him. She approached him with a shy smile, hands in the back pockets of her jeans, and the toe of her right boot rubbing into the cement floor of the barn.

"Rory, to be honest I was shocked when Raylene told me you wanted my number. I truly thought you weren't interested in me when I first met you," Hermione said and looked him in the eye.

"Why did you think that? Is it because I didn't ask you to dance? When I think back on it, that was really stupid, but I was so afraid of saying the wrong thing or doing something stupid. I didn't want to get to know you at Tubby's bar or dance floor. I want to take you out on a proper date. Raylene tells me you're from London, but that you've spent quite a few summer vacations here."

Hermione relaxed. She was glad that she had taken the initiative to be honest; it definitely helped with the nervous flutters in her stomach that had been there only a few moments before. "Yes. My parents and I have been coming here since I was three years old. My mother and Nancy were classmates in London."

"I guess we're just meeting now since I'm originally from Texas. I'm working at the Essen Ranch about 5 miles from here. I've been there about a year, but I'm about to leave for the pro-rodeo circuit. I've been recruited to join a major corporate sponsor's team," Rory replied.

"That's great Rory! Have you always wanted to be a professional bull rider?" Hermione asked.

Rory gave that heart melting smile again and nodded. "Ever since I was 3 years old and I saw Pat riding, I was hooked! My parents weren't too thrilled, but once I got a taste of being on that bull, I knew this was what I was born to do!"

Hermione, ever practical and always thinking ahead, asked "What are you going to do when you can't ride anymore?"

"Well hopefully by the time I retire with what I hope is a winning career, I'll be able to take my winnings and buy a ranch of my own," Rory said thoughtfully.

Hermione nodded. "That sounds like a good plan. Do you want a ranch in Montana?"

"Nah, I have my eye on a ranch in my hometown of Amarillo, Texas. The couple operating it are about to retire and they have no children or kin to pass it down. If everything works out like it should, I'll probably have my ranch in about 5 years or so," Rory replied and grinned.

"You're pretty sure of yourself, Mr. Matthew," Hermione teased.

"You have to be in my chosen profession. So what do you say Ms. Hermione Granger. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?" Rory asked.

"Yes I will Mr. Rory Matthew," Hermione answered as they smiled at each other. Rory stayed for about another hour and they continued to talk. Hermione was amazed at once she got over her initial nervousness, how easy it was to speak to Rory. He asked her plenty of questions about growing up in London. Hermione told him that she had attended a boarding school in Scotland; there was no way he could know about Hogwarts! She found out that he was 5 years older than she was, had grown up in Texas, and was an only child like her. Rory looked at his watch and sighed. He had to get back to the ranch; there was a cow that was about to give birth and he needed to be there to make sure there were no complications. He loved talking to Hermione; he'd never met anyone like her. She didn't seem to be as clingy and annoying as the women he usually met. He was really looking forward to taking her out.

They walked over to his older model white Ford pickup and he shook her hand before leaving. Hermione watched the truck leaving on the long gravel driveway of the ranch. Rory Matthew turned out to be everything she didn't think he would be-her dream guy.

**Trust that there will be lemons later on, but for now I'm taking it slow with my heroine. Hope you enjoy it. As I said before, this one's been stuck in my head. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it. Love the reviews and alerts!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Run**

**Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing related to Harry Potter; it all belongs to the wonderful Ms. J.K. Rowling. Bear with me on this fic; I know I've been neglecting it!**

Smoothing down the front of the red cotton wrap dress she decided to wear for her date with Rory, Hermione took one last look in the mirror. Touching her unruly curls which she had pinned up into a bun to somewhat control them, she sighed. _This was going to have to do, _she thought. She silently thanked her mother for reminding her to bring a few dresses just in case she had to wear something besides jeans. A date with Rory Matthew definitely called for that.

Hermione looked at her watch and saw that it was a few minutes until 6:30 p.m. Rory was going to arrive soon. She had so many butterflies in her stomach, but was looking forward to the date. Raylene had called her all week, giving her different makeup and clothing tips. The week had dragged by or at least it had by Hermione's standards, but it was now Friday and her date would be arriving soon.

She peered out of the kitchen window of her cabin and smiled when she saw Rory's white truck coming up the driveway of the ranch. It hit her that he was really there and she was going out on a date with one of the most gorgeous guys she'd ever laid eyes on. Hidden by the curtains hanging over the window, Hermione watched as Rory's truck stopped and he dismounted. Her breath actually caught when she saw how handsome he looked. He looked great dressed in a crisp white button-down shirt and dark blue jeans, along with black cowboy boots shined to perfection, and a black cowboy hat. Hermione closed her eyes for a second and let the breath she'd been holding out. When he knocked, she waited a few moments before opening the door. She took another deep breath and walked over to her front door to greet him.

"Hi. You look great," Hermione said and immediately hoped she wasn't gushing.

"Thanks, you look beautiful. Red is your color darling," Rory drawled as his eyes drank in Hermione's slim curves accentuated in the fitted dress. He had been wondering what she looked like when she wasn't in her usual attire of jeans. He definitely wasn't disappointed. Seeing her in the dress showed him what was underneath. She was just his type, petite with slim hips and pert breasts that weren't too big or small.

Hermione gave a small smile and blushed. "Thank you, it feels sort of weird not to be in jeans."

"I don't think there's anything weird about it at all. It's nice to see you in a dress. Are you ready?" Rory asked and smiled back. _Man, I love the way she blushes. I wonder if this girl is a virgin, she sure acts like it. I'd love to be the one to pick that cherry, _he thought.

"Sure, I'll just grab my bag and we can go," Hermione replied.

They exited from her cabin and walked over to his truck. Rory opened her door for her, giving her a hand to get into his lifted 4-wheel drive truck. Hermione settled in and put on her seatbelt, smiling at him as he shut her door. Rory went around and got in. He started the truck and they were off on their date. As they left the ranch, Hermione saw Pat working with one of the horses. She waved to him and he waved back.

Pat watched as the truck left the ranch and shook his head. Never one to poke around other people's business, he still couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive about Hermione going out with Rory Matthew. Pat didn't know the young man well but he'd heard stories about how Matthew was quite the player and broke plenty of female hearts all over the country. He knew Hermione was a smart and capable young woman, but she did possess a certain vulnerability and innocence. Hermione was like the daughter he never had and he couldn't help having paternal feelings towards her. He could only hope that she had enough sense not to fall for Rory Matthew's charms.

Hermione looked at Rory while he drove, admiring his large hands resting on the steering wheel. He felt her looking and turned to grin at her. He was used to women checking him out. Hermione reddened slightly and faced forward. She picked at a loose thread in the seat and began speaking.

"So where are we going tonight?

"We're going to the 180 Ranch Steakhouse and Saloon. Have you ever been there?" Rory asked.

"No, I sure haven't. The extent of my dining experience in Big Sky has just been Tubby's," Hermione chuckled.

"Dang girl! You need to get out more. Well you'll be in for a treat, the atmosphere at the 180 is a little different from Tubby's," Rory laughed.

They drove for about another 20 minutes and finally arrived at their destination. Hermione was surprised to see that along with the pickup trucks, there were also luxury cars. Rory parked his truck next to another pickup. Hermione was about to step out, but Rory stopped her. He dismounted from the truck and went around to her side. He offered his hand to Hermione and she accepted it as he helped her descend from the lifted truck. _He is such a gentleman, _she thought.

They made their way to the entrance of the restaurant and when they walked in, they were greeted by the hostess. She led them to a table for two near the center of the restaurant. Hermione was taken aback at how the other patrons stared and waved to Rory as they walked to their table. It also didn't escape her attention as to how the other women, young and old, were coolly assessing her, asking themselves what did she have to attract the attention of Rory Matthew that they didn't. She liked the warmth of Rory's hand pressing gently on the small of her back as they made their way through the restaurant. When they arrived at their table, Rory pulled her chair out for her. Hermione wanted to swoon, this was definitely more romantic than any place Ron had ever taken her to. She loved Ron to death and always would, but there was no way he'd ever come close to being in the same league as Rory.

Hermione and Rory enjoyed dinner and the conversation flowed. He told her about how he was leaving soon with the competition team. They were going to be traveling all over the United States and he was probably going to be away for about 6 months. Hermione knew she was being silly, but she was going to miss Rory especially since she was just getting to know him.

When they were done with their dinner, Rory took care of the bill. Hermione was astounded as to how many patrons in the restaurant knew him and stopped by their table to greet him. She admired how courteous Rory was to everyone. Once the bill was taken care of, he took her hand.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Sure, thank you for dinner. I enjoyed it," Hermione replied as they stood up.

"You're welcome, I enjoyed it too sweetheart," Rory replied. He smiled and took her hand, leading them out of the restaurant. When they arrived at his truck, he turned to Hermione and tilted her chin so she was looking up at him. She held her breath when he bent his head and kissed her. Hermione closed her eyes and melted into him. Rory broke the kiss and looked at her.

"I've wanted to do that all night. I don't know about you, but it was worth the wait," Rory said softly as he looked into her eyes.

Hermione could only nod. She now knew what it was like to be kissed by a real man. Rory was far from being a bumbling, inexperienced schoolboy. He opened her door for her and helped her in. He went around the truck and climbed in on his side. As she was fastening her seat belt, Rory gently pushed her hands away and pulled her to him, so that she was in his lap. He started to kiss her again and she felt his tongue in her mouth. Hermione kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms were around her waist and his hands were caressing her back. When they came up for air, Rory smiled at her.

"I hope you didn't mind, but I just couldn't resist getting another taste of you, sweet Hermione. You are so beautiful," Rory said in husky voice. He had a raging hard-on and if he didn't get her off of his lap, they'd never leave this parking lot. "I guess we better be on our way. How about we go dancing at Tubby's? There's a good band playing."

"I'd like that," Hermione replied as she slid off of his lap and went to her side of the truck. She was glad that it was dark because she was blushing for she had felt Rory's excitement. This was all so new to her and it still freaked her out that she could have such an effect on a man as hot as Rory.

Rory smiled at her and returned to the driver's side. He started the truck and they left from the restaurant. As he drove out to the main highway, Hermione felt his hand touch hers. She smiled at him and held his hand until they reached their destination.

Draco was bored out of his fucking mind. He was having dinner with his latest future conquest, Lenora Farmington. She was quite fetching with her brown curly hair, hazel eyes, and petite figure, but the minute she opened her mouth Draco wanted to put his wand to his head. She had the mental capacity of a housefly, but Draco wanted to quench the fire in his loins and she seemed perfect. He would never admit it, but Lenora reminded him of Hermione Granger. As he was trying not to fall asleep listening to her talk about the absolutely adorable wand covers she saw in Diagon Alley just that day, the manager of the restaurant came up to the table.

"Mr. Malfoy, please excuse me for interrupting your dinner, but you have an urgent message," the manager said.

"Excuse me Lenora, I must see what this is about," Draco said as he stood up and began to follow the manager.

"Try not to take too long Snookums," Lenora replied in a high-pitched babyish voice she probably thought was sexy.

Draco fought the urge not to roll his eyes and gave her a tight smile. He hated those stupid names women came up with when they thought they were being cute and affectionate. Thank Merlin for small miracles, he thought as he walked away from the table. He was pretty sure that even though he was horny as hell, it wouldn't be worth it to sleep with Lenora. Something told him he'd never get rid of her.

The manager brought Draco to the small room where the owl was waiting and upon entering the room, Draco recognized the owl as being Roald and Pansy's. He opened the letter and read it quickly. Pansy was in labor! Draco turned to the manager.

"It seems like I'll have to cut my dinner short. Please let Ms. Farmington know that an emergency has cropped up and give her my regrets. This should take care of everything," Draco said hurriedly as he handed money to the manager.

"I hope all is well sir. We'll let Ms. Farmington know of your departure," the manager replied as Draco nodded and quickly left the restaurant to head to St. Mungos.

When Draco arrived at St. Mungos, he was directed to the maternity ward. As he made his way there, he met up with Roald, who greeted him with a huge grin.

"Mate, it happened so quickly. As soon as we arrived here, Pansy gave birth only a few moments later. Come and meet your godson," Roald said.

"That's brilliant Roald, congratulations! How're they doing?" Draco asked as he walked with Roald.

"Pansy was amazing. She and Leopold are doing fine," Roald replied. Draco had been a bit taken aback when Pansy said they were naming the baby Leopold if he was a boy, but she explained that Leopold was Roald's grandfather's name. They had decided they were going to call their son Leo, for short.

When they walked into the room, Draco was touched by the sight of Pansy with Leo. She was beaming and looked happy as she gazed at Leo. She looked up and gave a tired smile.

"Hey Draco, I hope we didn't interrupt anything," Pansy joked.

"I came as soon as I received the message. Looks like little Leo couldn't wait to make his entrance. He's gorgeous Pans," Draco said softly.

"Thanks Draco. Do you want to hold him?" Pansy asked.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt him," Draco replied nervously. He had never been around babies and wasn't sure how to handle one.

"You won't hurt him. Here you are, make sure you support his head," Pansy said as she handed Leo to Draco.

Draco took Leo from her arms and carefully held the newborn. He smiled down at Leo and the newborn stared up at him. That was all it took and Draco knew that he would always be there for this child, his godson.

Pansy smiled at them and looked at Roald. "Would you look at that? He's a natural with babies." Roald nodded and smiled back.

Draco looked at them and grinned. As he held Leo and looked at Pansy and Roald, Draco realized something. He truly wished he could find someone and experience this with her. But Draco had yet to meet a witch he wanted to marry and start a family.

Hermione closed the door of her cabin behind her. She was smiling from ear to ear and leaning against the door. Tonight had been the best night of her life. She couldn't believe that she had stayed out dancing until 2 a.m. Hermione wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She actually went out on a date with Rory Matthew and he asked her out again the following evening. She was so glad that she had made the decision to come to Daisy Springs.

Within the next month, Hermione spent almost all of her free time with Rory because he was leaving for the rodeo tour. When that day arrived, Rory came by Daisy Springs to tell her goodbye. They were going to stay in touch with phone calls and texting, but it wasn't going to be the same. Hermione watched with a heavy heart as his truck disappeared down the curved, dusty road leading away from the ranch. Rory was going to be away for six long months. Hermione was going to be counting the days until he returned.

At different times of the day she thought about Rory and blushed about how far she had gone with him. On the night before his departure, Hermione had let him remove her shirt and bra. He had removed his shirt too and revealed a finely chiseled chest with a smattering of dark curly hair. Her body gave a delicious shudder when she thought of how his warm skin felt against hers and the way his hands explored her breasts. He told her that she was perfect. She blushed when she realized that if Rory hadn't stopped them, she would've have gladly lost her virginity to him that night.

"Hermione, as much as I'm enjoying this, we need to stop," Rory said in a husky voice. It was killing him to do this, but he respected her. The more time he spent with her, the more he was convinced that she was the girl he'd want to marry when he decided to settle down.

"Oh okay Rory. I hope I didn't do anything wrong," Hermione said as she found her bra and slipped it on.

Rory watched her and was a bit saddened to see those gorgeous tits hidden from his view. "I can assure you, you didn't do anything wrong Hermione. I just want to take things slowly. You're special honey. Will you wait for me?" Rory asked as he brushed a stray curl from her face as he looked at her with his gorgeous blue eyes.

"Of course I will," Hermione replied softly and kissed him. Rory kissed her back and held her close to him, burying his face in the crook of her neck, as if he wanted to savor her. After a few moments, he broke away from her with a smile.

"Hermione darling, if I don't leave now, I never will. I'm going to look forward to more moments like this when I return," Rory said as he stood and put on his shirt.

That was their last night together and it was always running in Hermione's mind at different times of the day and night. Her time with Rory stirred up so many new feelings. She had never felt like this when she was with Ron.

Hermione stayed busy at the ranch and still participated in barrel racing events in the surrounding areas. She was amazed at how well she and Treasure were doing; she was starting to take first place, beating Raylene. Raylene didn't mind, she was glad that she and Hermione were friends. They were becoming closer than ever and both young women felt like they had found the sister they never had.

It was January and Rory had been gone for almost 3 months. He and Hermione sent numerous texts to each other during the day. He called her at night and they stayed on the phone, sometimes for 2 hours. Hermione missed him so much and she was mentally marking the days off on her calendar until he returned.

One morning Hermione was in one of the barns tending to a cow that was soon going to be giving birth. She was cleaning out the stall and putting fresh hay, when Nancy approached her.

"Hermione dear, there's a gentleman that wants to see you at the front office," Nancy said.

Hermione gave her quizzical look as she put down the bale of hay. "That's strange. Who would be here to see me?"

Nancy shrugged. "I've never seen him before. I thought he was a salesman, but he specifically asked for you."

Hermione grinned, shaking her head as she walked with Nancy to the front office. She had no idea what this could be about. When Hermione walked in, she was approached by the man. He appeared to be in his late 40s, and was dressed in a crisp red cotton western-style button-down shirt, pressed Wrangler jeans, and a pair of shiny black Roper boots. He was short in stature with a slight paunch, with kind brown eyes and a nice smile. His smile reached those eyes when he looked upon Hermione.

"Ms. Hermione Granger, my name is Gabriel Somerson and I'm a representative for Cowgirl Blue. How are you?" he said as he extended his hand.

Hermione shook it. "I'm doing well Mr. Somerson, thanks for asking. How are you?"

"Just dandy Ms. Granger and the name is Gabe. Are you familiar with Cowgirl Blue's products?" Gabe asked.

"Please call me Hermione and yes I'm very familiar with Cowgirl Blue. As a matter of fact, I'm wearing a pair of Cowgirl Blue jeans at the moment," Hermione chuckled.

"Indeed you are and I'm glad to see that Hermione. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here so I'll get right to it. Cowgirl Blue will be sponsoring a barrel racing team for the pro-rodeo circuit and we'd like you to be a part of it. We've been following your progress and Ms. Raylene Devlin's. You two gals are exactly who we're looking for to represent Cowgirl Blue," Gabe said.

Hermione sat down heavily in one of the chairs near the front desk. 'Wow, I totally wasn't expecting this. Does Raylene know?"

"No, I was planning on going to her family's ranch after our meeting is done," Gabe said and smiled.

Hermione nodded. "This is very flattering Mr. Somer-I mean Gabe, but I have a job here at the ranch. I can't just up and leave them shorthanded."

"Oh yes you can Hermione. This is great; we'll have a staff member on the pro-rodeo circuit! You need to get out there and show the rodeo world what you can do!" Joe exclaimed.

Nancy walked over to where Hermione was sitting and sat across from her. "Hermione, you and Treasure have worked so hard and it looks like all that hard work is paying off. If you want to do this, Joe and I have no problem with it. You'll always have a place at Daisy Springs, no matter what."

"You really think Treasure and I have what it takes for the pro-rodeo circuit?" Hermione asked, still not believing this was happening.

"Hell yeah and you'd be a fool not to take this opportunity that just dropped into your lap," Pat boomed as he walked into the office.

Hermione stood up and looked at Gabe. "I guess that settles it Gabe, looks like I'm going to be part of Cowgirl Blue's team."

Gabe shook her hand again. "Welcome to team Cowgirl Blue Hermione Granger. I just have some paperwork to go over with you and I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Thank you so much for your time, you will not regret this."

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity," Hermione replied. She still couldn't believe her luck.

The next few weeks were very busy for Hermione and Raylene. They had to be fitted for their team's clothing and gear. Raylene was brimming over with excitement and so was Hermione. They were going to be on the same circuit as Dave and Rory. As the two young women tried on the clothing and had it altered, they chatted about how awesome it was all going to be. There was one thing that Hermione kept from Raylene. Maybe she was imagining things, but when she told Rory about she and Raylene being sponsored by Cowgirl Blue, he didn't sound too thrilled. She kept replaying the conversation in her mind.

"Rory, I hope you're sitting down, I have great news!" Hermione exclaimed over the phone.

"I'm sitting darling. What's the great news?" Rory asked and chuckled.

"Raylene and I have been offered spots on Cowgirl Blue's barrel racing team! Do you know what this means? We'll be on the same circuit as you and Dave. We'll be able to see each other!" Hermione replied happily.

"That's wonderful babe. I didn't even know Cowgirl Blue sponsored anyone, that's great," Rory said, almost in a monotone.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked. She thought he would've been more thrilled. Rory sounded like she had just told him she was suffering from an insufferable disease or something just as tragic.

"No, no nothing's wrong babe. This news really brightens my day. I'm a little banged up and bruised from one of the bulls being ornery. I'm sorry if I don't sound like myself. I think I'll take a shower and turn in early," Rory said.

"Okay, you take care and get a good night's sleep. I miss you Rory," Hermione said softly.

"I miss you too darling. Good night," Rory replied and hung up.

Hermione wondered what his problem was; there was something off about Rory. She went to bed after the phone call, but it was some time before she finally fell into a fitful sleep.

When Rory finished his phone call with Hermione, he placed his cell phone on the nightstand in the motel room he was staying in that evening. He sighed and lay back against two pillows. Of all the rotten luck, he couldn't believe Hermione and that loudmouth Raylene were going to be joining this rodeo circuit. This was really going to cramp his style. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock on the door. He rose from the bed, smiling as he walked over to answer it.

"Hey there, I hope it isn't past your bedtime Mr. Matthew," the sultry brunette drawled when Rory opened the door.

"No honey, you're just in time, come on in," Rory replied and moved aside so she could walk in. Brandi was a waitress at a diner where he'd eaten breakfast that morning. Rory liked what he saw and had given her his motel room number. Brandi must've liked what she saw too because there she was.

As Brandi strolled into his motel room, he felt his crotch tightening as he took in her nicely-shaped rear in the tight jeans she was wearing. He couldn't wait to tap that ass. Rory didn't think that there was anything wrong with what he was doing. He was leaving this town the next morning and would probably never see Brandi again. He viewed Brandi as a "practice girl," as in she was okay to have sex with, but not someone he would consider marrying. He was able to satisfy his needs with gals like her. Hermione Granger was definitely not a "practice girl," and he had the utmost respect for her. However, she was totally going to cramp his style by being on the same rodeo circuit. Rory had no idea how he was going to work all this out, but he was confident he'd think of something.

Hermione and Raylene waved to their friends and family as they left from the town square in Big Sky. Cowgirl Blue had provided them with a tour bus that would also serve as their accommodations. They were followed by two trucks pulling horse trailers and equipment. Gabe was traveling with them, along with the driver of the tour bus, Tom Turner. Their first stop was Denver, Colorado where they would join the rest of the rodeo circuit. Hermione was nervous, but excited at the same time. She and Raylene couldn't wait to see the guys.

When they made it to their destination, the tour bus pulled into the parking lot of the coliseum where the rodeo was going to be taking place. When the vehicle stopped, the young women stepped out to stretch out their legs and check out the coliseum. Imagine their surprise when Dave and Rory were there to greet them. Raylene hooped and hollered as she ran into Dave's arms. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, hugging and kissing him. Hermione was a little more hesitant when she approached Rory, but any doubts she had soon melted away when Rory pulled her into his arms.

"You are a sight for sore eyes darling, I sure missed you. I'm glad you're here," Rory said softly.

Hermione smiled at him and hugged him. He tilted her chin up and kissed her gently. She closed her eyes as she savored the kiss and enjoyed being close to Rory again. It was as if he wanted to pick up where they left off.

The young men were quite impressed with the setup that Hermione and Raylene had been provided by Cowgirl Blue. They couldn't get over how luxurious the tour bus was; it was nicer than most of the motel rooms they stayed in. Dave was genuinely happy for the girls, but Rory couldn't help feeling a little resentful. He could see Raylene being on a team like this, but Hermione had just started and here she was being sponsored by one of the biggest corporations. He thought Hermione was a great gal but really didn't think she had what it took to make it in the pro-rodeo circuit. Rory hoped she wasn't in for too rude of an awakening.

As they traveled to different places, Rory thought Hermione was going to cramp his style, but she and Raylene stayed in the tour bus, while he, Dave, and the rest of the guys on the tour went back to the motel. He would have dinner with Hermione, play tonsil hockey and feel her up for about an hour, and then he'd return to his motel room to meet whatever lucky gal he'd picked up earlier in the day. Life was good for Rory.

Hermione was feeling a little frustrated. She was so ready to take it to the next level with Rory, but whenever she tried to unfasten his jeans or feel his erection, he'd only smile and push her hand away. He wanted their first time to be special.

"Hermione baby, as much as I want to, we need to stop," Rory groaned.

"But Rory, I'm ready," Hermione pleaded as she kissed his neck.

Rory gently pulled away and looked at her. "I want our first time to be somewhere special. Sure we could do it here, but it would be so quick and meaningless. Baby, when I make love to you, I want it to be for the whole night. I want to hold you in my arms afterwards and wake up to your beautiful face in the morning."

Hermione, being so young and inexperienced fell for this and was overcome with love and affection for Rory. She really felt that he cared about her and didn't want to compromise her virtue.

In the weeks that went by Rory had to reconsider his thoughts about Hermione not being good enough for the pro-rodeo circuit. She and Raylene were in a tight race for having the best times. They always placed in the top spots and Hermione was coming out first more and more. Cowgirl Blue's executives and Gabe were thrilled for both young women had exceeded their wildest expectations. Cowgirl Blue's merchandise was flying off the shelves since Hermione and Raylene had begun to compete. Women admired them and wanted to emulate their style. They were becoming household names in the pro-rodeo world.

Raylene had found a way to sneak out of the tour bus and spend a few hours with Dave in his motel room. Hermione, along with Gabe and Tom, always turned in early and they were all heavy sleepers. When Raylene was sure that they were asleep, she'd sneak out to where Dave was waiting for her and they'd slip off to his motel room for a little fun.

It was 3 a.m. one Sunday morning and Raylene was stepping out of Dave's motel room. It was a cool morning in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dave had left ahead of her so he could start up the pickup truck and get the heater going. She was about to head downstairs to the parking lot when she saw something that stopped her in her tracks. There was Rory making out with a redhead in the doorway of his room. He was shirtless and his jeans were unbuttoned. He was chuckling as the redhead whispered something in his ear. When they disentangled from their passionate embrace, the woman waved to him and began to walk away.

"You still have my number right? I'll be waiting for your call," the redhead said over her shoulder to Rory. Her name was Laura and she was a rodeo groupie.

"You bet darling. Thanks again babe," Rory replied as he watched her walk away. He had no intention of calling her and had already forgotten her name.

"It was my pleasure," Laura said in a sultry manner. She couldn't wait to tell her friends that she'd spent the night with Rory Matthew.

Rory was about to shut the door and get back in bed when he sensed that he wasn't alone. When he turned and saw who was there, he did a double take, and then inwardly groaned. _Fuck, it's Raylene, _he thought.

"Hey there Raylene, wasn't expecting to see you," Rory said, wondering how much she had seen of his interaction with the redhead. Judging by the sour look on her face, she had probably witnessed a good bit.

"I don't fucking believe you Rory! How can you do this to Hermione? You know, I had a few reservations about Hermione getting with you, because let me tell you bucko, your reputation precedes you. But I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. However, you haven't changed at all. Why are you spouting all that bullshit to Hermione about waiting to sleep together? She is one of the finest people I know, you don't deserve her. You're a fucking asshole," Raylene growled.

"Raylene, it isn't what you think. That gal you saw came by for an autograph and I couldn't get rid of her," Rory lied. He was going to say anything to get out of this.

"Rory, do you think I'm one of those dumb broads you're always picking up? I saw you kissing her. What're you going to do about this?" Raylene asked as she tapped the toe of her right foot and looked at him expectantly.

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"Are you going to tell Hermione or shall I?" Raylene asked.

"Damn it Raylene. Please don't say anything before I talk to her. I never meant to hurt Hermione, I care for her," Rory pleaded.

"You've sure got a funny way of showing it. Hermione sees you as some sort of Prince Charming, huh more like Prince of the Dipshits if you ask me," Raylene said scornfully as she looked at Rory with disgust.

"All I ask is that you give me a chance to tell her. Please, I'm begging you," Rory replied.

"Fine! I'll be nice and give you two days to tell her. If you don't, I'm telling Hermione everything," Raylene said.

Rory sighed. "That's fair enough. I just hope by some miracle she'll forgive me. That gal you saw meant nothing to me."

Raylene rolled her eyes. "You're truly a piece of work. I hope Hermione has enough sense to tell you to get the fuck out of her life."

Rory didn't answer her. He went back into his room and shut the door. Raylene looked at the closed door with a grimace on her face and shook her head. _Wait until I tell Dave about this,_ she thought as she descended the stairs to meet him.

It was Sunday afternoon at the rodeo in Santa Fe and Hermione was so exhilarated. She and Treasure had placed first again. Raylene had placed second and hugged Hermione as they waited to accept their prizes. Hermione was amassing quite a collection of belt buckles. As Raylene watched Hermione and saw how happy she was, she thought about Rory. She wondered if he was going to tell Hermione later that evening. It tore her up to know how this was going to break her friend's heart, but damn it to hell, Rory couldn't keep making an ass out of her.

When they were done, they went to sit in the stands to watch the last event of the day and the most anticipated, the bull riding. Cowgirl Blue had a box reserved at the stadium, but the young women preferred sitting with the spectators. They were very gracious as the people sitting near them congratulated them on their performances. Hermione looked at the program and frowned when she came to Rory's name.

"What's wrong?" Raylene asked.

Hermione pointed to the name of the bull Rory was going to be riding. "Rory's riding Red Dynamite." Red Dynamite was a mean sonofabitch and a force to be reckoned with; he gave the rodeo clowns a run for their money. A rust-colored bull with splotches of white, no one was able to stay on the 1800 pound beast for eight seconds.

Raylene made a face. "At least Rory won't be on him long," she giggled.

Hermione gave her a good-natured nudge with her elbow. "Rory might be the one to finally put Red Dynamite in his place. I'm so nervous for him, he's going to be the last rider."

She and Raylene watched the bull riding and cheered them on. Dave did really well and made it to the 8-second mark. He had a good chance to place first. Finally it was Rory's turn. Hermione watched as he was in the stall and was about to mount Red Dynamite. Just as he was about to sit on the bull, he turned and looked at Hermione. Her heart melted when he smiled and winked at her. Raylene fought the urge to roll her eyes.

It all happened so quickly. The gate opened and Red Dynamite shot out with a vengeance, intent on bucking Rory off. Sure enough Rory was only able to stay on for 4 seconds. He was flung into the air and landed on his rear end in the middle of the arena. He stood up and brushed the dust off of his jeans. The rodeo clowns ran to distract Red Dynamite, but the bull was too quick for them. Rory had removed his protective vest and was walking back to the gate, when Red Dynamite went straight for him. Rory turned and saw the bull. He tried to run to the gate, but it was too late. Red Dynamite pierced his side with one of his horns, and then tossed him into the air as if he was a ragdoll. The crowd gasped in horror as Rory fell heavily to the ground. The rodeo clowns were finally able to subdue the vicious bull and led it away so the paramedics could get to Rory. They lifted him onto a stretcher and took him away to where an ambulance was waiting.

Hermione watched all this and put her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Raylene reacted quickly, grabbing Hermione's hand and leading her away from the stands. They needed to get to the hospital. She saw Dave and he ran to them. Dave led them to the pickup and they climbed in. They left the stadium and followed the ambulance. When they arrived, Rory was prepped for emergency surgery, for he was bleeding internally.

They had been sitting in the waiting room for about an hour and were joined by Gabe and Tom, along with rodeo officials. Raylene held Hermione's hand and tried to console her. Despite how much she disliked Rory, Raylene never wished anything like this to happen to him. She hoped and prayed he was going to be okay.

Another half-hour went by and then a middle-aged doctor walked into the waiting room. He looked around and asked who was there for Rory Matthew. They all stood up and Dave went up to the doctor.

"How is he doing? Did the surgery go well," Dave asked.

The doctor looked at all of them and sadly shook his head. "I'm sorry, we did all that we could, but he had lost too much blood. Rory didn't make it."

Hermione let out a wail and collapsed to the floor. Raylene went to her and hugged her. She cried along with Hermione, thinking about the awful things she had said to Rory earlier. Hermione would never have to find out the awful truth. Rory was gone.

**Some of you are waiting for the Dramione interaction, well it won't be long. This incident will definitely send Hermione back to the wizarding world. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**As always, I appreciate the reviews and alerts. Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Run**

**Chapter Four**

**Disclaimer:**** Ya'll know this belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

A few weeks had gone by since Rory's death and Hermione was still trying to make sense of it all. Cowgirl Blue gave her the option of breaking the contract since they were aware that Hermione and Rory were seeing each other. She declined the offer since she was never one to back out of a commitment. She stayed on the tour with Raylene; if anything being with her horse Treasure comforted her during this difficult period.

Hermione, along with most of the other rodeo participants had attended a memorial service for Rory a few days after his accident. His body had been brought to his hometown of Amarillo, Texas and his family was going to have funeral services there. Hermione had thought about taking a few days off to attend the funeral, but held back from doing so. She had never met Rory's parents and she didn't even know if Rory had told them about her. Hermione remembered how he always spoke fondly of his parents; his mother had been a Texas beauty queen and his father owned an oilfield business. She wondered how they were handling his death. Rory had been their only child.

It was the end of the tour and the rodeo association was hosting an awards ceremony for all of the participants. Everyone was recognized for their efforts. Towards the end of the ceremony, it was announced that there was a special posthumous award for Rory. As this announcement was made, Hermione looked around the room to see if his parents were there to accept the award, but no one approached the stage. The announcer looked around the room too, and then a rodeo official approached the podium and whispered something to him.

"Excuse me folks, but I've just been informed that Rory Matthew's family wasn't able to make it to the ceremony. Perhaps a friend or colleague would like to accept this award on his behalf," the announcer said.

Hermione glanced around and saw that no one was getting up, so she approached the stage. The announcer smiled at her and handed her the large belt buckle.

"Thank you," Hermione said and gave him a sad smile. Looking at the award brought back so many memories of Rory and she was feeling overcome by emotion as she went back to her seat next to Raylene. When she sat down, Raylene put her arm around her shoulders and rested her head on hers.

When the ceremony had ended and everyone was leaving, something occurred to Hermione. What was she going to do with the award? This didn't belong to her. Should she have it shipped to his family? As she processed this, she thought about impersonal it would feel for his parents to receive this by mail. It was at this time that Hermione made a decision. She was going to deliver it to them personally. Maybe this would bring closure to her and his family.

When she told Raylene about what she planned to do, her friend insisted on accompanying her. It seemed like the perfect time to do this. It was the beginning of May and the tourist season didn't start for another few weeks at Daisy Springs. Hermione and Treasure returned to the ranch for a few days, where she was comforted by Joe, Nancy, and Pat. When Hermione told them about delivering the award directly to his parents, they all thought that it was a good idea.

Hermione and Raylene booked a flight to Amarillo and left from the airport in Bozeman. Raylene had never revealed to Hermione what had occurred with Rory at the motel. She figured he was dead and why should she mar the good memories Hermione shared with him. She had decided to go to Amarillo with Hermione because something was telling her that maybe Rory's family wasn't who Hermione thought they were. Raylene had listened as Hermione described them to her and she couldn't help thinking that Rory had fabricated most of the details. Hermione was a smart girl, but she was so naïve when it came to Rory. _That asshole probably could've convinced her that shit was ice cream,_ Raylene thought bitterly as Hermione recalled fond memories. She truly hoped Hermione wasn't going to be disappointed.

When they arrived at Rick Husband Amarillo International airport, they immediately rented a vehicle. Once they were settled in the small sedan, Hermione punched in Rory's parents address into the navigation system and they were on their way. It was about 30 miles to their destination, so they were able to see a good bit of Amarillo. Raylene had been there a few times, so she pointed out good restaurants and places to shop as they drove.

Hermione's heart began to beat faster as they approached the end of their journey. Doubts began to creep into her head. Maybe she should've called them first, but when she had searched for a phone number, Hermione hadn't been able to locate one. What were she and Raylene going to do if no one was home? She took a deep breath and pushed these doubts out of her head. It was going to be fine.

The navigation system gave instructions to turn right and it was only about a quarter of a mile before they reached their destination. When they arrived, Hermione and Raylene looked at each other. This couldn't be the right address. Rory had told Hermione that his parents lived in a lovely two-story manor with a white picket fence all around it. She was taken aback when the address she was given led them to an older mobile home that had seen better days. The screen door on the front was hanging by its hinges and the siding on the home was buckling in places. There was a small driveway on the side of the mobile home, so Hermione parked the sedan there. She noticed that there were two other vehicles, so someone was probably going to be there. _Maybe she had the wrong address; this couldn't be right,_ Hermione thought as she and Raylene stepped out of the vehicle. She went around to the trunk of the car, opened it, and retrieved the belt buckle. Hermione looked at Raylene.

"Do you think this is the correct address?" she asked.

Raylene shrugged. "Only one way to find out. Let's see if someone is home," she said and they began walking to the front door.

They looked around dubiously as they stepped on the wooden front porch which seemed a bit unsteady and creaked as they walked on it. They approached the front door and Hermione looked at Raylene before she knocked. Raylene nodded and Hermione tapped lightly on the door. They waited a few minutes, but no one came.

"Maybe knock a little louder, they probably didn't hear those little taps," Raylene said and before Hermione could knock again, Raylene gave the door three loud raps.

"Don't you think that was a bit much?" Hermione asked out of the corner of her mouth.

"No, those little taps you made wouldn't even make a flea stir. If someone is here, they definitely heard my knock," Raylene replied and tried not to laugh.

Hermione only shook her head and was about to retort, when they heard footsteps coming from inside the trailer. Her heart began to beat faster again as she and Raylene watched the door open. An older woman with blonde hair that was obviously dyed since the black roots were showing answered the door. A cigarette was hanging out of her mouth and she was holding a small boy who appeared to be about two years old. The child was only clad in a diaper and the diaper appeared to be full. The woman was thin and haggard looking; she had bags under her eyes and lines on her face. The faded pink housecoat she wore hung loosely from her frame. She grimaced as she looked at Hermione and Raylene.

"Whatever it is you two are selling, we don't want it. So why don't you get off mah porch?" the woman drawled in a southern accent and grimaced at them.

"Excuse me ma'am, we aren't selling anything. My name is Hermione Granger and this is my friend Raylene Devlin. We're here on behalf of Rory Matthew. Did you know him?" Hermione asked tentatively. Who was this woman?

The woman regarded both girls for a few moments, and then turned away as she extinguished her cigarette in a nearby ashtray. When she looked at them again, she began to laugh and then erupted into a coughing fit probably due to her excessive smoking habit and the fact that she was laughing so hard. Hermione and Raylene looked at each other and wondered what was it that Hermione said that prompted this fit of laughter. Even the small boy she was holding looked at her strangely. Hermione took a closer look at the child and noticed how similar his eyes and facial features were similar to Rory's. A pool of dread began to form deep in her gut. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to come here.

When the woman finished laughing and regained her composure, she looked at Hermione and then Raylene. "Well, which one of you is knocked up for Rory?" She pointed at Hermione. "Is it you?" She turned slightly and pointed at Raylene. "Or is it you Blondie? My Rory always had a thing for the blondes," the woman said and began to laugh again. She was totally nuts.

"So you're Rory's mother?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"I sure am and if you're preggers honey, you'll need to take it elsewhere. We can't feed another mouth around here. Rory left this one behind and his girlfriend has a bun in the oven," Rory's mother answered. As she said this, a young woman came up from behind her. She had stringy blonde hair and washed out blue eyes. She was also thin, except for the huge pregnant belly. She gave Hermione and Raylene a curious look as Rory's mother whose name was Darla said as she pointed towards the young girl, "Marla Ann here is about to pop any day now."

It finally dawned on Hermione what was going on here. There had never been a huge house with a picket fence and she doubted this crazy bitch was ever a beauty queen. Rory had made it all up. She couldn't believe he had a child and another one on the way. How could he have been with her and told her how much he cared about her? It had all been one big fucking lie. Everything Hermione thought she knew about Rory Matthew flew out the window as she regarded the scene before her. She had to think fast.

"Mrs. Matthew, neither one of us is pregnant for Rory. We were on the same rodeo circuit and we wanted his family to have this belt buckle that was presented at the final awards ceremony," Hermione said as she handed the buckle to Marla Ann. The young girl looked at it and turned it over in her hand. She wondered how much she would get for it at a pawn shop.

"I'm sure his son would appreciate having this as a memory of his father," Raylene said.

"Yeah Rory didn't leave behind much except for more mouths to feed," Darla replied with a scowl.

"Well, we've taken enough of your time. I'm really sorry about Rory. Please give his father my regards," Hermione said. She just wanted to get as far away from this place as she could.

"His father? I tell you what honey, if you see that good for nothing bastard, you can give him your regards. I haven't seen him or a child support check since he walked out on us when Rory was two years old," Darla scoffed.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione said. Raylene looked at her and grabbed her arm. They began walking quickly to the car.

"Give me the keys, there's no way you can drive," Raylene said when she saw how shaken Hermione was. _Good Lord, this was worse than I could've ever imagined, _Raylene thought. Rory truly was a piece of work; she wondered how many other children he had out there. She couldn't believe the way he had led Hermione on.

They got back into the car and left that dreadful place. As she drove, Raylene glanced at Hermione and saw that she was staring out the window. They didn't speak for a few miles. Raylene finally broke the silence.

"I'm really sorry you had to see that Hermione," she said.

Hermione shook her head and looked at Raylene. "Everything was one big lie Raylene. How Rory could have been with me knowing he had a son and a pregnant girlfriend? Why would he have made all this crap up about how wonderful his parents were?

"I don't know. Maybe he was trying to forget where he came from. I guess he could be anything he wanted to be since he was away from his family," Raylene said.

"Raylene, do you think there were other women? I mean if he carried on with me the way he did, I wouldn't be shocked," Hermione said.

Raylene took a deep breath and pulled into the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. She parked the car, shut it off, and turned to Hermione. "I wasn't going to tell you this, but after what you just saw, I think you need to know. On the day Rory died, I had caught him with another girl at the motel. I threatened him and told him that if he didn't tell you, I was. I'm guessing he was going to tell you that night. Hermione, please don't be upset with me, but I totally understand if you are. I just didn't want to add to your misery."

Hermione gave Raylene a rueful smile. "I'm not upset with you. I know you were only trying to protect me especially with what happened. But Raylene, I'm not some fragile little doll that's going to go to pieces. This was definitely one of the most difficult things I've had to face, but I'm going to be okay. At this point anything I hear about Rory will not shock me. You think you know someone."

"Well I was as shocked as you to see he had a kid and one on the way! How about we go to our hotel and have a nice dinner?" Raylene asked. They had booked a room for the night since their return flight was scheduled for the next morning.

"That sounds like a plan. It's safe to say this totally wasn't what I was expecting. Fucking understatement of the year," Hermione scoffed.

"It's fucked up you had to find out this way. Let's get out of here," Raylene said as she started up the car. They left the parking lot and went to their hotel. The young women shared dinner and talked more. The remainder of their trip was uneventful as they turned in early. When the morning arrived, they returned to the airport, turned in the rental car, and took the flight back to Montana.

Upon returning to the ranch, Hermione threw herself into her duties and the daily routine of the ranch. She was happy when the tourist season started again; being busy kept her from thinking too much of what happened with Rory. It was going to be a long time before Hermione gave her heart to another man.

The only time she suffered a breakdown was when her parents had come for a visit in June. They had never met Rory and she had been planning on introducing them. When she told her parents everything that happened, including the part of him being unfaithful, she couldn't stop crying. Her parents consoled her as best as they could, her father telling her that it would get better in time and she would meet someone worthy of her. Hermione's mother held her and let her cry on her shoulder and didn't say anything. She knew how hurt Hermione was and it was going to take time to get over this. When Harry and Ron had found out about Rory, they had offered to take time off from their Auror training to spend a few days with her. Hermione wouldn't hear of it. They made her promise to visit them soon, they missed her.

Things slowly went back to normal for Hermione. It was only late at night that thoughts about Rory would creep into her head and it was difficult to fall asleep. There were many nights that she found herself on her front porch, looking into the magnificence of the star-kissed Montana sky. She would sit in an old rocker, with her feet propped up on the railings of the porch, thinking. She wondered if she would ever trust another man again.

When the tourist season ended, Hermione was contacted by Cowgirl Blue. Once again, they wanted to sponsor her and Raylene in the pro-rodeo circuit. She was hesitant at first, but figured why she should give up something she loved so much because of a jerk like Rory. It was hard to accept his death in the beginning, but now that she knew everything was a lie, it was getting easier and easier to cope with it. Hermione accepted Cowgirl Blue's offer and when October came, she and Raylene were on the road again.

This time on the pro-rodeo circuit was completely different for Hermione. She socialized more and realized how much she had missed out on by spending all of her spare time with Rory on the previous circuit. She met plenty of men who were interested in her, but she politely rebuffed their offers of taking her out to dinner, etc. Raylene was glad to see that Hermione was going out and meeting new people. However she knew that it was going to be some time before Hermione let her guard down enough to date again. _That was going to be one hell of a man who could break through that shield Hermione has up, _Raylene thought as she would watch Hermione turn down one suitor after another.

After another successful rodeo season, Hermione returned to Daisy Springs. After one long and difficult day of mending fences and rounding up stray cattle, she returned to her cabin. After showering, she changed and walked over to the main house for dinner. As she walked in, Joe handed her some mail she had received that day. As she sorted through the junk mail, she was pleasantly surprised to see a letter from Harry. They had been communicating by email, so she wondered why he would send something by muggle post. She smiled as she opened it and immediately noticed that it was some sort of invitation. As she read it, she could barely contain her excitement. It was an invitation for the official Auror swearing in of Harry and Ron. They had completed the program! She was thrilled her two closest friends were now Aurors. Hermione was so proud of them. She looked at the date and saw that it was two weeks away.

Hermione approached Joe and Nancy after dinner and asked if she would be able to take some time off to return home. She told them that her friends were graduating from the police academy and they wanted her to be there. Hermione didn't like lying to them, but there was no way she could even begin to explain to them about Aurors.

"You take as much time as you want dear, you deserve it," Nancy said, as Joe nodded.

"Thank you so much," Hermione replied as she hugged them. She left the main house and returned to her cabin. She couldn't wait to email Harry and let him know that she was going to attend the ceremony.

Nancy and Joe watched her leave with smiles on their faces. They had worried about Hermione since Rory's death; this was one of the few times she looked genuinely happy.

Always one to be prepared, Hermione immediately booked a flight to London and let her parents know that she was going to be visiting. Harry and Ron couldn't wait to see her. It had been two years since she had left the wizarding world. As she started the preparations, Hermione felt exhilarated; she looked forward to seeing her friends again. The only snag in her plans was her wardrobe. She looked through her closet with a frown; she had nothing to wear but jeans, t-shirts, and western wear she thought with dismay. She still had the red dress she had worn on her first date with Rory, but she kept it out of sight. Hermione would never wear it again. That was it; she was going to have to go shopping.

She and Raylene met for dinner at Tubby's later that week. When she told Raylene about her plans, Raylene told her they were going to Billings. According to her, Billings was the best place for shopping, for the city had quite a few shopping malls and exclusive boutiques.

"Are you sure we need to go all the way to Billings just for clothes? I'm sure I can find everything I need here in Big Sky," Hermione said.

Raylene rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Big Sky is great if you want to look like country comes to town when you go back to London! You really need some new threads girly. Come on, it'll be great! I can show you around Billings too."

Hermione shook her head, but agreed with her friend. "Fine, we're going to Billings."

"Yay! We're going to have so much fun," Raylene squealed as she clapped her hands.

Hermione smiled at her friend. She was glad that she and Raylene had reconnected since she came to Daisy Springs. They had definitely become closer since Rory's death.

They agreed to leave early Saturday morning since Billings was almost 3hours away from Big Sky. Hermione was hesitant at first, but the more she thought about it, she was looking forward to the trip. She couldn't wait to get home and see her friends. There had been so many new and exciting experiences in the muggle world, but now that she had slowed down, she realized how much she missed the wizarding world.

True to her word, Raylene arrived bright and early at 7 a.m. Saturday morning. She was in Dave's pickup truck.

"I thought we'd go in the truck because I figure we'll need the extra room for all of the clothes we're going to buy," Raylene joked as Hermione stepped into the truck.

"I know you're joking, but sometimes I wonder," Hermione grinned.

It didn't seem like a 3-hour trip to Hermione, as she and Raylene talked and sang along with the radio. It was a beautiful day and she was surprised to see the city of Billings upon them. Raylene drove straight to the mall where they stayed for the remainder of the day shopping, only taking a break for a quick lunch.

Hermione felt a bit guilty for all of the money she was spending, but she really hadn't spent all that much since she started working at Daisy Springs. She had also done really well being sponsored by Cowgirl Blue, earning a tidy sum which had never been touched. She and Raylene had found plenty of cute outfits. Her favorite was the dress she was going to wear for the Auror ceremony. It was a royal blue sleeveless sheath dress with a belted waist and the neckline was accentuated in a dainty black crochet. When Hermione came out of the dressing room to show Raylene, her friend nodded.

"That's the one! You look beautiful!" Raylene exclaimed. "I just saw the perfect heels that will go perfectly with this dress."

Hermione thanked her friend and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had to admit the dress did suit her; it accentuated her curves. She smiled at Raylene in the mirror.

After she took off the dress, she met Raylene in the store and they went to the shoe department. Raylene was right; the black high-heeled sandals complemented the ensemble well. Hermione liked that the shoes would go well with the other outfits she had purchased. She wondered if she was going to have a chance to wear all of them. It had been some time since she had shopped for any new clothes and maybe she had gotten a bit carried away, but it was hard not to get caught up in Raylene's enthusiasm for shopping.

She thought that they were done for the day, but Raylene insisted that they hit the huge cosmetics department of the huge store. Hermione groaned.

"I can buy makeup in Big Sky," she said as she made a face.

"Um that stuff you get at the local drugstore is fine for Big Sky, but you're going back to London girly. You need to wow your friends," Raylene insisted and stuck her tongue out at Hermione. "Come on, I know exactly which counter to go to."

Hermione knew it was useless to resist Raylene so she followed her friend. When they arrived at the makeup counter, they were met by a gorgeous Asian girl named Dawn. She had Hermione sit down and she started working on her face. As she applied the makeup, she explained what she was doing. When Dawn finished, she handed Hermione a mirror. She gasped when she saw how her eyes seemed to be bigger and her lips looked as if they'd just been kissed. Hermione was impressed that Dawn did this with only a few products, so she gladly bought them. Raylene gave her knowing look and Hermione just knew she wanted to tell her "I told you so."

After they shopped until they dropped, the young women had dinner and checked into the hotel Hermione had booked for the night. She knew that they wouldn't feel like making a 3-hour drive after this long day of shopping. She and Raylene had fun looking over all of their purchases. Hermione was glad that they had done this. She was feeling better than she had in quite some time.

The day finally arrived and Pat drove Hermione to the airport in Bozeman so she could catch her flight. He stayed with her until it was time for her to depart. As he watched her walked through the gates, he called out to her.

"You come back now!"

Hermione turned and smiled at him. "I'll see you in two weeks. Make sure you give Treasure her apples."

"I will darling. You have a fun trip and stay safe," Pat replied as she waved and walked away. As he left the terminal and walked to his truck, he couldn't help feeling that Hermione might not be coming back to Daisy Springs. He shook it off and figured he was just being an old fool.

Hours later, Hermione's plane landed in London. Her parents were waiting for her and it wasn't long before they were home. Hermione went to her room to put her belongings away and was shocked to find how much she had missed these familiar surroundings. It truly was good to be back on her home turf. She couldn't wait to see her friends.

Draco had a late night drinking with his friends, Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott. He had stumbled back into his apartment at about 3 a.m. and there had been a witch with him. All he remembers is waking up with her in the bed. She had gotten totally pissed at him because he couldn't remember her name, so she dressed quickly and left in a huff. This suited Draco perfectly; he didn't want to be stuck providing her with breakfast and feeding her lies about seeing her again. He'd just taken a hangover potion when he heard his floo being activated. He grimaced when he saw it was his mother.

"You look positively ghastly Draco! Where were you last night?" Narcissa asked as she looked him over and shook her head.

"Out with friends Mother. What with brings you here at this hour?" Draco asked ignoring her searching look. He walked into his kitchen and Narcissa followed him. She watched as he got a bottle of water and drank the whole thing. He looked at his mother. "Can I get you anything?

"No thank you. I'm here at this hour, which by the way is 10 a.m. to give you this invitation," Narcissa replied as she thrust the invitation towards him.

"Another one?" Draco asked as Narcissa raised her eyebrows and nodded. As he read it, he groaned. "Do I really have to attend this crap? Like I feel like watching Potty and the Weasel get initiated into the Auror program."

"Draco, your father and I think that it's important for us to be there. We've made great strides in improving our image since the war and we think that this would solidify our stance by showing support for Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley," Narcissa huffed.

"Fine Mother, I'll be there. When is this crap? Good, it's tomorrow afternoon," Draco said to himself as he looked over the invitation again.

"Be sure you're on time. Father and I will meet you at the Ministry," Narcissa said.

"Okay mum, I'll even put on my best dress robe," Draco joked.

Narcissa's face softened and she smiled at her only child. She ruffled his hair like she would do when he was a small boy. "Draco, when are you going to find a nice witch and settle down? You can't keep going out and keeping these late hours."

"I'm enjoying life mum. I just haven't met the right witch yet," Draco chuckled.

Narcissa sighed. "I'll let you be and let you get back to whatever it is you planned on doing today. We'll see you tomorrow."

Draco nodded and smiled as he kissed his mother on the cheek. When she was gone, he went back to his bedroom and promptly fell asleep. He was meeting his friends later for another night of drinking.

Hermione took one last look in the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door. She made sure that everything was in place. Her hair had always had a mind of its own and she hadn't been sure how to fix her mass of curls. She finally decided on pulling it back in a fishtail braid. The braid hung down to the middle of her back. It wasn't bad and it kept her unruly hair in place.

When she came down the stairs, she fought not to roll her eyes because her mother was waiting with her new digital camera. She insisted on taking a few pictures before Hermione left. Her parents told her how nice she looked and this made her happy. She took a deep breath as she left the house and headed for the Ministry. She couldn't wait to see her friends.

Draco arrived at the Ministry a few minutes before the ceremony started. His parents shot looks of disapproval towards him as he sat next to them in the small auditorium. He looked back at them and raised his eyebrows.

"What? I'm not late," Draco whispered.

"Be grateful we were able to save you a seat. We hadn't realized there were going to be so many people," Lucius hissed and faced forward.

Draco sat down and wondered why his parents were so uptight. He looked around the auditorium and saw a few familiar faces. Suddenly his eyes were drawn to a young woman in a blue dress. He couldn't see her face as he watched her take a seat towards the front. He liked the way the dress hugged her curves and she had the most appealing pert little bottom. He caught a quick glimpse of her face before she sat down, but that was it. He knew he hadn't seen her before. _Maybe coming here wasn't going to be as torturous as I thought it would be,_ Draco said in his mind as a smirk appeared on his face. He was always on the prowl.

The ceremony took approximately an hour and there was a reception in another room. Draco stood with his parents and listened to the band playing. His eyes scanned the room and finally he found the witch he had seen before. She was alone.

When the ceremony had ended, Hermione had waited for her friends. When they saw her, she was smothered with hugs.

"Hermione, it's been way too long. I'm so happy to see you," Ron said as he grabbed her in a bear hug and swung her around.

"Come here you! You look great," Harry exclaimed as he did the same as Ron.

When they finally let her go, Hermione stepped back and looked at her friends. She was amazed how much they had filled out and weren't the boys she had left two years before. She congratulated them along with Ron's family. Everyone else was thrilled to see Hermione was back. While Harry and Ron finished up, Hermione decided to head over to the next room for the reception.

She walked in and glanced around the room, but she didn't see anyone she knew. Hermione decided to watch the band until her friends arrived. She was enjoying the music when someone spoke into her ear.

"Do you know you're the most beautiful witch in here?"

Hermione turned and couldn't believe it. Draco Malfoy, the biggest git that ever lived, was attempting to come on to her? She didn't know whether to laugh or hex him. "Draco Malfoy, as I live and breathe. I see you haven't grown up since Hogwarts. What the hell are you up to?"

"Granger?" Draco blurted out. "I'm sorry I thought you were someone else," he said and walked away. _Merlin's bollocks, how could this alluring creature be bushy-haired Granger,_ he thought. He groaned inwardly when he realized the cheesy pickup line he used on her. The reality was that he actually meant every word, she was beautiful.

Draco kept his distance. He watched as Hermione took turns dancing with Potty and the Weasel. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she threw her head back and laughed. What was wrong with him? Since when was he attracted to Granger? He decided to throw caution to the winds and ask her if she wanted to dance with him.

Hermione was taking a break from the dance floor and sipping on a glass of pumpkin juice. She inwardly groaned when she saw Malfoy heading towards her. She was having such a nice time being with her friends; why did he have to ruin it? As he walked towards her, she had to admit that Malfoy was quite easy on the eyes, with his striking platinum hair and grey eyes. Like Harry and Ron, he had filled out too since she had last seen him. She gave him a resigned look when he was in front of her.

"What is it Malfoy?" she asked and sighed.

"How about a dance?" Draco asked and gave her his most winning smile.

Hermione looked at him for a few seconds. "I'll dance with you, but if this is some kind of joke, you'll regret the day you were born," she said in a low voice.

"Hostile much Granger? Look, I know I was a total arse when we were at Hogwarts, but I want to put that behind me. It's just a dance, I promise," Draco replied

"Okay, lead the way Malfoy," Hermione said. They walked over to the dance floor as a fast song was finishing. A slow song started and she thought about walking away, it was going to be so awkward dancing slow with Malfoy. But he gently took her hand in his and placed the other one lightly on her waist. Hermione placed her other hand on his shoulder and they began to move slowly. As they danced, she decided that this wasn't quite the unpleasant experience she thought it would be. Malfoy was a good dancer. It was also a bit surprising to find that his touch wasn't as repulsive as she thought it would be.

As they moved, Draco fought the urge to pull her closer to him. He loved the feel of her hand in his and she smelled amazing. Her dress fit her to perfection, he thought as he took in her small breasts and tiny waist. Who knew Granger would turn out like this? He decided then and there he had to have her.

Harry and Ron almost choked on their pumpkin juice when they saw Hermione dancing with Draco. What was that all about?

**Thank you for your patience. I'll be glad when the holidays are over, LOL. Finally a little Dramione interaction. More to come.**

**Also thank you for the alerts and reviews, I appreciate it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Run**

**Chapter Five**

**Disclaimer:**** Still hasn't changed, I do not own anything related to Harry Potter!**

When the song ended, Hermione gave Malfoy a small smile and moved away from him.

"Thanks Malfoy. My friends are waiting for me," she said and walked off the dance floor. She knew she probably sounded like an idiot, but she didn't care. Hermione couldn't put her finger on it but there was something different about Malfoy. It was as if he was trying to come on to her which was completely absurd considering the way he treated her at Hogwarts. She was astounded that he never once referred to her by that derogatory word he'd always been fond of using, "mudblood."

Draco watched her as she walked away from him. _So Granger wants to play hard to get huh? We'll see about that Granger, I love a challenge _Draco thought as he admired her from afar. He saw his parents seated at a table, so he went over and sat with them. His mother was after him before his arse had even touched the seat.

"Who was that lovely witch you were dancing with dear? I don't think your father or I have ever seen her before," Narcissa asked.

Draco smirked; he couldn't wait to see his parents' reaction. "Hermione Granger."

Narcissa and Lucius gave each other astonished looks. "The last time we saw her, she was so thin and that bushy hair," Narcissa said and shuddered. "She has certainly blossomed since that time."

"Oh she definitely has, you're right about that," Draco said as he looked towards where Hermione was seated with Potty and the Weasel.

"Draco, you can't possibly be thinking about pursuing someone of her status?" Lucius hissed.

"Status means nothing to me when I'm trying to get a witch in my bed," Draco replied in an offhand manner.

"Draco! We raised you with better manners than that. As for you Lucius, Ms. Granger is a well- respected member of the wizarding community. Draco would be lucky to be in her company," Narcissa stated. She was all about getting back into the good graces of wizarding society.

Lucius harrumphed and looked at Draco with a flat expression. "Do you really think you're shocking me with your raucous comments about bedding witches? You need to think about settling down. I think you've sowed enough of your wild wizarding oats."

Draco mentally rolled his eyes and didn't answer. He was listening to his parents, but his attention was still focused on Granger. He felt something stir in him that he hadn't felt in a long time. He loved that she seemed to have no interest in him. Draco was so accustomed to having women come on to him; it was refreshing to find a witch like Granger. She would definitely be his ultimate conquest.

The moment Hermione was face to face with Harry and Ron, they began firing questions at her.

"I can't believe you were dancing with Malfoy of all people! Are you under the Imperious curse?" Ron asked.

"Malfoy, Hermione? He's still such a git," Harry said.

Hermione looked at them with her hands on her hips. "I'm not under any kind of curse. Malfoy was actually courteous. I wanted to be the better person and not make a scene, so I danced one time with him. I have no plans to do it again. Why don't we forget about Malfoy and grab a seat with the Weasleys?"

The young men knew better than to question her further, so they made their way to where Ron's family was seated. As Hermione caught up with her friends, she couldn't help but notice how Malfoy kept looking towards their table. She shrugged it off and went back to enjoying her friends' company. After a few minutes, she looked towards the table where Malfoy was seated with his parents and was relieved to see that they were gone. When the reception was over, she was getting ready to leave when she heard someone call her name.

"Miss Hermione Granger, it has been a long time."

Hermione smiled when she heard the familiar voice and turned to see Professor Minerva McGonagall who was now the Headmistress of Hogwarts. "Professor McGonagall, it's so nice to see you," Hermione said as she hugged the older witch.

"Hermione dear, I was so happy to see you here. Are you still living in the United States?" Professor McGonagall asked as she returned Hermione's hug.

Hermione nodded. "Yes ma'am. I've been there for the past two years. I took two weeks off to attend Harry and Ron's graduation and to visit with my family. You look wonderful. How's it going at Hogwarts?"

"It's going remarkably well. This upcoming school year will be the largest student body Hogwarts has ever seen. There are many new programs being implemented. With the help of some very generous donations, we've added a horse stable. The students are very interested in the equestrian program, but I'm afraid it won't be taking place this year. The instructor I had hired for the program decided to stay at his current position, so now I'm stuck," Professor McGonagall.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I think it's amazing that horseback riding will be offered at Hogwarts. Is there no one else willing to take the position?" Hermione asked.

Professor McGonagall smiled. "Well, I was hoping I would be able to talk to you about that. I've been following your career in the muggle world Hermione. I think you'd be perfect for the job."

Hermione was flabbergasted. She was totally not expecting this. "Professor, that's quite an offer. Do you really think I'm capable of running such a program?"

"Of course Hermione, you always were one of the brightest witches ever to have attended Hogwarts. If anyone is capable, it's you dear," Professor McGonagall replied.

"Professor, can I think about this for a few days?" Hermione asked.

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Just remember the time is running out. If I don't have an instructor for the program by the end of this week, the Ministry will pull the funding for hiring. Why don't you come to Hogwarts tomorrow and tour the facilities?" she asked.

"I'll do that, thank you for considering me for this," Hermione replied. This was so exciting, but she was torn. She would have to do some serious soul searching in the next few days. Did she want to be back in the wizarding world or did she want to return to the muggle world?

The two witches said goodbye and Hermione walked over to the doorway where Harry and Ron were waiting for her.

"Why were you and McGonagall getting cozy?" Ron asked as soon as she approached him and Harry.

"Nosy much?" Hermione asked as she rolled her eyes, but then began to chuckle, letting Ron know she was joking. "I just got offered a job at Hogwarts."

"That's interesting. What kind of job?" Harry asked. He wasn't at all surprised that the Headmistress approached Hermione about a job. Hermione had always been very intelligent and capable; she was often referred to as "the brightest witch of her age.

"Can you believe Hogwarts will now offer horseback riding? Professor McGonagall needs someone to run the program. She had hired someone but he backed out on her at the last minute. I'll be going to the school tomorrow to tour the facilities," Hermione replied.

"So you're seriously considering taking the job?" Ron asked.

"I'm definitely going to look at my options, but yeah there might be a possibility," Hermione answered and smiled.

Hermione woke up bright and early the next morning. She told her parents about the Headmistress' offer and they were happy for her. It would be wonderful if Hermione accepted the job, because they had missed her these past two years. It would be nice to have her closer to home. Her father brought her to Kings Cross station and she headed to Platform 9 ¾ to take the Hogwarts Express. Hermione smiled as she boarded the familiar train; she never expected to board it again after finishing at Hogwarts a few years before. Something else occurred to her as she found a seat; Hermione truly felt like she was coming home.

When she arrived at Hogwarts she was met by Professor McGonagall, who was waiting for her in a carriage that took them to the castle. Hermione was struck with awe as she looked at her alma mater. After all of the destruction that had taken place at Hogwarts during the last wizarding war, it was amazing to see that the school had been restored to its former glory. Hermione couldn't wait to see inside. When they arrived at the entrance of the castle, they dismounted from the carriage and walked in.

Hermione looked around and said, "It's hard to believe what had taken place here. Hogwarts is exactly like when I first saw it when I was 11 years old!"

The Headmistress smiled and nodded. "That's how I see the school too. It still looks the same, but we were able to update and modernize the school in the process. Hogwarts has joined the digital age."

"You mean to tell me there's internet access? Wi-fi?" Hermione asked with an incredulous look on her face.

"I was against it at first, but as I learned more about muggle technology it seemed that this would be something Professor Dumbledore would have embraced," Professor McGonagall said and smiled.

As they walked through the castle to make their way to the stable, Hermione felt even more at home than she did on the Hogwarts Express. It was still mind-boggling to realize that she'd be able to bring her laptop and mp3 player to Hogwarts should she accept the position. Professor McGonagall's offer was getting more tempting by the minute.

The large, state-of-the-art stable was located near the quidditch pitch. When they arrived, they were immediately greeted by Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts. He and a few house elves were tending to the horses. There were 40 stalls in all, with 20 stalls on each side of the extensive stable. Hermione stopped at the first stall and her breath caught. There was the most beautiful black Arabian. The horse's coat was sleek and glistening. When Hermione approached the stall, it snorted lightly.

"Are all of the horses like this one?" Hermione asked incredulously as she ran her fingers through the horse's mane. He was a magnificent animal.

"There are 10 Arabians, along with American Paint and Quarter Horses. There are also a few ponies," Professor McGonagall replied as they began to walk through the stable. She watched as Hermione went to each stall and flattered each horse. The professor suppressed her smile; she was pretty sure by this point that Hermione was going to accept the position. "Hagrid and his staff would be assisting in taking care of the animals, along with helping out with the students."

Hermione took a look around and smiled at Professor McGonagall. "I'll do it."

Professor McGonagall's face lit up. "You cannot know how pleased I am that you'll be joining us at Hogwarts! Let's go back to my office so we can go over everything."

"I'll be returning to the States and I'll have to let my employers know of my decision. I'd like to give them a notice. How soon do I have to report to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.

"Our staff will be here at the beginning of August, so that gives you a few weeks to get your affairs in order," Professor McGonagall replied.

Hermione nodded and had a thoughtful look on her face as they walked back to the castle. "You mentioned that the stable was possible because of generous donations. I was wondering where the donations came from, if you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all dear. Surprisingly most of the renovations were possible because of the generosity of the Malfoy family. I was a bit taken aback when I was told it was from the Malfoys, but I suppose they are making amends for what happened in the war," Professor McGonagall said quietly.

"Well, regardless of where the money came from, it's good to see Hogwarts restored," Hermione said and smiled, but was groaning inwardly._ There was Malfoy popping up again. Is this all an act or are he and his parents truly trying to make amends,_ thought Hermione.

The next few weeks were hectic for Hermione. She returned to Daisy Springs to tell Joe and Nancy that she would be going back home. She told them that she had accepted a position as a riding instructor at a boarding school. Again, Hermione didn't like lying to them, but at least this one was partially the truth. When she broke the news to them, they hugged her.

"I suppose I always knew deep down that you'd return home. It was wonderful having you here," Nancy said sadly.

"You just remember that you'll always be welcome at Daisy Springs. Nancy and I feel like you're the daughter we never had," Joe said as he hugged her tightly.

"Aw, you're making me cry. Thank you so much, I enjoyed my time here, but I feel like it's time to go home," Hermione replied and wiped away her tears.

A little later that day, she met up with Pat. He gave her a sad smile when she walked up to him.

"I guess you heard the news," Hermione said.

Pat nodded. "I did, but I can't say that I'm surprised. I kinda figured when you went home that you'd realize how much you missed your friends and family. I'm going to miss you darling."

"I'll miss you too Pat," Hermione said and hugged the older man. "I've learned so much from you."

Pat smiled as he hugged her back. He patted her back and pulled away from her, because he felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He was a salty old bastard, but he was really going to miss Hermione. There was just something special about her. Like Joe and Nancy, he felt like Hermione was the daughter he never had. Pat said, "Follow me."

Hermione wondered what he wanted to show her. Pat led her to a small shed near the stables. When he opened it up, there was a female Border Collie with 4 lively puppies. Hermione squealed with delight as she picked up one of the black and white puppies and cuddled it. She looked at Pat. "Where did these come from?"

"I was thinking that Bo was getting up in age, so I decided maybe he needed a little help," Pat said and smiled. Bo was Pat's 10-year old Border Collie. "I suppose it was fate because the local vet's office gave me a call and asked if I knew of someone willing to take this mama and her pups. Some piece of shit had dumped them at the front door of the office."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "Some people. I'm glad you were able to take them. Are you keeping all of the puppies?"

"Nah, I'll be keeping the mom and one pup. I'll be giving the other 3 away to good homes. I was thinking of letting you have first pick, kind of a going away present," Pat said.

"Really?" Hermione said and nuzzled the puppy. She thought about it for a few moments. Border Collies were great with horses and livestock. Hermione didn't think Professor McGonagall would mind especially since the puppy would be a working dog. "I'll take this one if that's okay."

"She's yours," Pat said and smiled as he patted the puppy's head.

Hermione spent the next two weeks working at the ranch and assisting Pat in training her replacement. She had gone to dinner a few times with Raylene too. Raylene was devastated that Hermione was going back home, but she was glad for Hermione too. She noticed that Hermione seemed to be happier; Raylene truly hoped everything worked out well for her friend. She made Hermione promise that she would come back to visit her. Raylene and Dave were now engaged and she asked Hermione to be a bridesmaid in her wedding which was taking place the following summer. She was delighted when Hermione accepted.

"Thank you so much! I promise I won't pick out hideous bridesmaid dresses," Raylene chuckled.

"I know you won't. I'm really going to miss you Raylene," Hermione said.

"I will too honey. I can't believe you're going back home, but I know you miss your family and friends," Raylene answered.

"I didn't realize how much I did until I went home a few weeks ago. At least we have email and Skype," Hermione chuckled.

"We do but it won't be the same without you here. I'll miss you my friend," Raylene replied as she hugged Hermione.

Hermione returned the hug. "I'll miss you too."

Draco had been invited to dinner at Pansy and Roald's home. When they were done, he was playing on the floor with his godchild, Leo. Pansy smiled as she sipped her tea. Draco was lying on his back and held Leo up in the air. Leo gave shouts of delight; he loved his Dray.

"Leo adores you Draco. Who knew you were so good with children? You'll make a wonderful father one day," Pansy said demurely, but had a knowing look.

Draco gave her a side-eye look. "Don't start about me settling down Pansy. I'm getting enough grief from my parents on that crap."

"It's true Draco. You can't keep going like this. You never see the same witch twice. Remember Roald's cousin, Desiree?" Pansy asked.

"Not really," Draco replied nonchalantly as he smiled up at Leo and made a funny face.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "She was absolutely shattered when you didn't call her after you spent the night together. I was stuck having to listen to her whining for weeks afterward. Anyway, she got engaged this week."

"Tell her congratulations," Draco replied indifferently. He remembered Desiree. She was a beautiful girl, but a total ditz and boring in the bedroom.

"You're incorrigible! What I'm getting at is that by the time you decide to settle down, all of the good witches will be taken," Pansy hissed.

"Give it a rest Pansy. Draco has plenty of time to settle down," Roald said softly.

"Fine. Don't come crying to me when you're a crotchety old bachelor," Pansy pouted.

"Don't worry, I won't," Draco replied and chuckled. As Draco laughed, Leo laughed with him.

Pansy couldn't help it; she began to laugh too. She couldn't stay mad at Draco for long, but he just infuriated her. She was so happy with Roald and she wished that her good friend could find that kind of happiness too.

After Draco had rocked Leo to sleep, he left Pansy's house and went straight to The Leaky Cauldron. He was meeting Blaise and Theo there. When he arrived, his friends were seated at a table and waved him over.

"Over here mate. What the hell took you so long to get here?" Theo asked. "We've been here for about an hour."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "I was having dinner with Pansy, Roald, and my godchild. So sorry to have kept you waiting," he replied sarcastically.

Blaise laughed. "Chill out. Have a shot of Firewhiskey. The night is still young and I've spotted a bevy of beauties at the bar."

Draco threw back the Firewhiskey and looked towards the bar. There were indeed three witches seated there and they were casting looks in his and his friends' direction. Although his heart wasn't in it, he had a "rep" to protect, so he smirked at his friends and headed to the bar. As he began to chat up the young women, he couldn't help thinking about Hermione Granger and wondering if he'd ever encounter her again.

Hermione took one last look at the cabin she'd lived in for the past two years and sighed. She was going to miss Daisy Springs, but she was excited about working at Hogwarts. Making sure she had packed away everything, Hermione grabbed her bags and locked the door behind her. It was time to close out this chapter of her life and begin a new one.

She and her puppy, who she named Daisy after Daisy Springs, arrived at Hogwarts and settled in. Hagrid was delighted with Daisy; his large hound Fang was getting up in age, so it was nice to have a lively puppy. Hermione was very happy that her living quarters were at the stable; she'd be able to keep an eye on the horses at night. She would take meals at the Great Hall with the other instructors, but the majority of her time would be spent at the stables.

On her first night there, it was such a surreal experience for her when she joined the other instructors for dinner. She was so used to being a student, so it was strange to be sitting on the dais in the front of the hall with them. Hermione looked down at the tables below and her eyes went to Gryffindor's table. She felt a pang of loneliness for the days of when she and her friends were seated there. It wasn't going to be long before all of those tables were going to be filled with students again. Hermione couldn't wait to get started.

As she took a seat near Hagrid, she was greeted by many of her former instructors including Professors Slughorn, Flitwick, Trelawney, and Madam Hooch, who still coached quidditch and conducted flying classes. Hermione was also happy to see her friend Neville Longbottom, who was the Herbology professor. He had taken Professor Sprout's place after she retired. She was also glad to see Madam Pince was still the librarian and Madam Pomfrey still ran the Infirmary. There were also a few new faces, including a quidditch and flying class assistant. Neville had told her that the student body had grown so much, that Madam Hooch now needed an assistant to help her. Neville introduced Hermione to the young man who was Madam Hooch's new assistant. He gave her a bright smile and shook her hand.

"I'm Mark Draper, it's good to meet you Hermione. So you're our riding instructor," he said to Hermione.

"It's good to meet you too Mark. I'm excited to get started," Hermione replied. She noticed that Mark was very tall and fit; it was obvious he played quidditch on a regular basis. Hermione detected an American accent and wondered how he ended up at Hogwarts. Mark had short brown hair that was spiky in the front and warm brown eyes, which lit up when he smiled.

Mark nodded. "I was glad to see that Professor McGonagall found an instructor, the students are going to be thrilled. If you need anything let me know. I grew up around horses in Kentucky, so I know a thing or two about them."

"I may take you up on that," Hermione replied and smiled. The rest of the dinner went very well. As she left the Great Hall to head back to the stables, she thought about Mark Draper. He seemed nice, especially since he offered to help with the horses.

Mark watched as Hermione walked back to the stables. He had heard that Hermione Granger was going to be the new riding instructor and looked forward to meeting her. Mark had seen a few pictures of her from her years as a student at Hogwarts and thought she was a cute girl, but nothing prepared him for the polished beauty he met tonight. He was pleasantly surprised at how sweet she was; sometimes girls as gorgeous as she were a tad haughty and standoffish, but not Hermione Granger. Mark also admired the easygoing manner she had with everyone.

As Hermione settled into her new digs, she was delighted to find out that the muggle technology did indeed work at Hogwarts. She was able to send off emails and set up her mp3 player to play music throughout the stable. There was always music playing in the stables at Daisy Springs, so Hermione decided to do the same thing. She had no idea if the horses liked it or not, for they showed no reaction. She liked listening to the music while she worked and as the days progressed, so did the house elves and Hagrid.

August went by quickly and in that time, Hermione and Mark struck up a great friendship. She couldn't believe how well he could handle the horses; Mark had been a great help to her, by helping her to exercise the animals and grooming them. As they worked together, Hermione found out more about Mark. He was 26 years old and a half-blood wizard; his mother was a witch and his father was a muggle. While he was growing up, his mother had been content to be a stay-at-home mom while his father worked as a horse trainer for a large horse farm near Lexington, Kentucky. Mark often worked with his father and loved horses, but when he was accepted at the Bluegrass School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he also discovered a great love for quidditch. His father had always hoped Mark would follow in his footsteps and become a horse trainer, but when Mark turned 18 and had completed his schooling, he accepted a position with a professional American quidditch team. He and his father had a huge fight over this, resulting in Mark having little to no contact with his parents for the next few years. Mark was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where his team was headquartered, when one day his parents showed up at his apartment. They reconciled and his father even started attending his quidditch games. It was a bittersweet reunion however; not long after this his father was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer. Mark and his mother were devastated when he passed away a few months later. Mark was so distraught that he quit playing quidditch and moved back home. He tried working at the horse farm where his father had been employed for years, but it was just too painful. After a few months of grief, his mother found out about the position at Hogwarts and encouraged him to apply for it. Mark resisted at first, but his mother reassured him that she was going to okay and this was what his father would've wanted. That was two years ago and Mark couldn't be happier at Hogwarts. Working with horses again now comforted him and made him feel closer to his father.

Mark smiled when he heard Hermione humming along with a song playing over the speakers in the stable. In the last few weeks he spent with her, he found that he was comfortable around her and she was so easy to talk to. Hermione had told him about her life and her time in the United States, but Mark sensed that there was something she was holding back. Sometimes a certain song came on and she had a wistful look, as if she was thinking about someone or something she once had, but now no longer did. He didn't want to ask her about it; Mark felt this was none of his business, but should Hermione ever decided to open up, he'd be there to listen like she did for him.

Hermione decided that she liked Mark Draper. In these last few weeks, they formed a nice friendship. She never once felt as if Mark was coming on to her, she felt very at ease with him. Perhaps it was because they shared a common bond of losing someone they loved, or in Hermione's case, someone she thought she loved. Maybe one day she'd tell Mark about Rory, but for now she didn't care to bring up the tarnished memory.

Draco was preparing to leave work one afternoon, when he received an owl. He didn't recognize the owl and wondered who this could be from. He chuckled when he realized it was from Hogwarts; it made him think of the time he had received his acceptance letter when he was 11 years old. As he gave the owl a few treats, he opened the letter and quickly scanned the contents. It was an invitation to a reception to welcome back the students for the new school year, and to tour the facilities to see the improvements made to the school. Draco had been attending these functions with his parents in the last few years; they were always invited because of their magnanimity towards Hogwarts. He briefly pondered if he could get out of going to this one, but he knew Narcissa would have a fit if he even mentioned not attending. _Guess I'll have to get out the dress robes once again, _Draco thought with a wry smile as he sent back his RSVP confirming that he'd be attending.

Hermione sat astride a palomino quarter horse as she watched the crowd gather at the stables. She patted the horse on the side of her neck, and she let out a soft snort. The horse's name was Tibby and she reminded Hermione of Treasure, the horse she left behind at Daisy Springs. She missed Treasure, but Tibby was proving to be a wonderful replacement. Hermione and a few of her more experienced students, who were also astride horses, were getting ready to give a demonstration of their riding abilities for the guests who were there for the open house reception. The students had arrived at Hogwarts the week before and in that time Hermione had been able to figure out the different levels of riding ability most of the students possessed. Even Daisy was doing a demonstration with Hagrid; he had started to train her to herd the sheep that were now part of the grounds of Hogwarts. The crowd laughed joyfully and clapped at the enthusiasm and skill of the young dog as she obeyed Hagrid's commands.

The riding demonstration went very well and everyone was impressed with the new riding facility. Hermione silently breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the expressions of various higher-ups of the Ministry of Magic nod their approval to Professor McGonagall. Quite a few of the officials also greeted Hermione and let her know that they were honored to see her amongst Hogwarts staff. Hermione and her students had let the horses cool down and were preparing to groom them when she was approached by Pansy Parkinson.

"You did a wonderful job out there Hermione. Leo here is fascinated by the horses," Pansy said happily as she gazed lovingly at the small boy on her hip.

Hermione kept brushing Tibby and gave Pansy a cool look. "Thanks. How are you Pansy?" she asked in a guarded voice. She was shocked to see Pansy Parkinson again. Pansy had not been one of the nicest persons when they attended Hogwarts, and that was putting it mildly. She had been a part of Malfoy's entourage who seemed to live to make Hermione and her friend's lives miserable.

Pansy sensed this and sent a tentative smile towards Hermione. "I know we were never friends, but I'm not the same person I was back when we attended Hogwarts. I regret a lot of the things I did and said when I was younger. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for the grief I've caused to you and your friends."

"_First Malfoy making amends and now Parkinson? Wonders never cease,_ Hermione thought as she stopped brushing Tibby and turned to face Pansy. "I'm glad to put this all behind us and I'm sorry too. Is this your son? He's beautiful," Hermione said and smiled gently at Leo.

Pansy nodded. "Yes, his name is Leo and he's two years old." She beckoned to the man standing behind her. "And this is my husband Roald Chalmers. Roald, this is Hermione Granger."

Hermione shook Roald's extended hand and she made small talk with the couple as she continued to groom Tibby. Leo kept reaching for Tibby, so this gave Hermione an idea. She stopped brushing Tibby and asked if Leo would want to see a pony. When Pansy and Roald consented, Hermione brought them to the pasture and led one of the ponies to the fence so Leo could have a closer look.

"Is it okay if I let him sit on the pony?" Hermione asked.

Pansy looked at Roald and he shrugged. "I suppose it would be okay, he really loves all of the animals." Hermione knew that pony was very gentle and the small horse never budged when Pansy put Leo on its back. Leo squealed with delight as he sat astride the pony.

Smiling at Pansy and Roald, Hermione said, "I think Leo is a natural! Will he be attending Hogwarts?"

Pansy and Roald nodded and beamed at their child. "Yes, we'll be expecting to see his acceptance letter when he turns 11," Pansy said.

"Hey why is my godson astride that beast?" Draco asked jokingly as he approached them. His heart was beating a little faster as he took in Hermione speaking to his friends. _Gods she is lovely, _Draco thought as he took in the tight faded blue jeans and fitted sleeveless red blouse Hermione was wearing.

"Where have you been hiding? Leo loves all of this. Hermione thinks he's a natural," Pansy said proudly.

"Does she now?" Draco asked as he shot an appreciative stare towards Hermione.

Hermione felt uncomfortable under Malfoy's gaze; it was as if she could feel him mentally undressing her. She nodded at him. "Malfoy."

"What do you think of the facility? Is it up to your standards? I was a bit shocked to find out you were the new riding instructor, but you're handling this very well," Draco commented in that smug way of his. Indeed it had been a very pleasant surprise when he found out that Hermione was now a permanent staff member of Hogwarts. He was going to have to make it to Hogwarts more often.

"It's quite brilliant thanks to your family's generosity," Hermione said softly. She decided to make a quick exit. "It's been nice talking to all of you, but I'll need to get the ponies back in and make sure all of the other horses have been tended to. I'll see you at the reception I suppose," she said and was glad for an excuse to get away from Malfoy's searing stare.

"Thanks again Hermione, I know Leo had a great time! Roald and I are going to skip the reception and head home, but Draco will probably be there. It really was good seeing you and you're doing a wonderful job here," Pansy said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Leo is a delight. It was good to see you too and great meeting you Roald," Hermione said as she extended her hand. Roald shook her hand. He, Pansy, Leo, and Draco watched as Hermione, along with a few house elves, led the ponies back to the stable. When Hermione was out of earshot, Pansy turned to Draco with a mischievous grin.

"Merlin, put your eyes back in your head! You couldn't keep them off of Hermione Granger," she said and chuckled. Pansy had to admit that Hermione had turned into a beautiful and confident woman; she could see where Draco was attracted to her, but Pansy didn't think he could even get to first base with Hermione Granger.

"What're you going about woman? Roald I think you need to get your wife back home, she's delirious," Draco said in an offhand manner. _Damn it, he should've known Pansy didn't miss a thing,_ Draco thought.

"Whatever Draco, but I know you. Surely you don't think Hermione will be one of your one-night stands? I hate to sound crude, but that witch is probably harder to get into than the most secure vault at Gringotts," Pansy snorted.

Roald gave her a shocked look. "Pansy! I can't believe you said that!" he exclaimed. Roald thought Hermione was very nice and was impressed with the way she ran the riding program.

"It's true Roald. Hermione was known as the Gryffindor Princess when we attended Hogwarts and was as pure as the driven snow. She might still be. I know she dated Ron Weasley briefly after the war, but I don't think there have been any other wizards in her life. I don't know what game you think you're playing Draco, but you'll be lucky if Hermione doesn't hex your bits if you try to get her into your bed," Pansy said.

"Gringotts security has already been compromised so anything is possible, even getting into the ironclad knickers of Hermione Granger, should I choose to do that," Draco replied arrogantly.

Pansy gave out a short laugh. "You can't possibly be seriously thinking of pursuing her?"

"What? You don't think I stand a chance?" Draco asked and raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know Draco, you and Hermione Granger? She didn't seem to be affected by your charm. I like her already," Pansy said and grinned. Roald just rolled his eyes; he wasn't getting in the middle of this.

Draco nodded slowly and said, "I predict within the next few months Hermione Granger will fall for me."

"I don't think she will," Pansy replied. This was getting more interesting by the second.

"Care to make a friendly wager?" Draco asked.

"Ooh, this is getting serious! A wager! If you can get Hermione Granger to fall for you, I'll pick up your tab at The Leaky Cauldron for a month. If you don't succeed, you can pick up my monthly tab at Madame Malkin's Robes for Every Occasion," Pansy answered with a smug look.

"You're on Pansy. Well if you'll excuse me, I have a reception to prepare for and a bet to win!" Draco said as he kissed her cheek. He hugged Leo and shook Roald's hand before walking away. As he was leaving, he grinned and made an "L" with his thumb and index finger, laughing as he showed it to Pansy.

When Draco was out of earshot, Roald turned to Pansy. "I can't believe you made that stupid bet with Draco. I won't be surprised if he has Hermione Granger in his bed by the end of this evening."

Pansy shook her head. "You underestimate me Roald. Draco is calling me a "loser" but I think he's finally going head to head with the witch who's going to bring him to his knees," she said with a smug look.

"That will be something to see," Roald chuckled.

Pansy and her family headed back home to London. She thought about the way Draco was looking at Hermione; she had never seen him look at another witch like that before. She couldn't help feeling that Hermione Granger was going to turn out to be much more than a one-night stand for Draco; he was falling for her.

After tending to the horses, Hermione returned to her living quarters in the stable. She took a long shower, which refreshed her. As she stepped out, she did a quick-drying charm on her thick hair and dried off the rest of her body. Hermione looked into the mirror in the bathroom and decided to put her hair up in a loose chignon. She put on her underwear and applied her makeup. Satisfied with the results of hair and makeup, she went into her bedroom. The dress she planned on wearing was attached to a hook on the door of her closet. Hermione put it on and then slipped her feet into a pair of black high-heeled sandals. She stepped in front of the full-length mirror near her bed and studied her reflection. The dress was one she had bought when she had gone shopping with Raylene. She smiled at the memory; it seemed like it was so long ago, when in fact it had only been a few months ago.

It was a floor-length black gown with a fitted body and a sweetheart bustline. It was sleeveless with thin halter straps that tied at the back of the neck. The back was open and cut low; it was definitely one of her more daring outfits. She grabbed her small clutch that was on the bed and headed to the castle.

In his immaculate and tailor-made dress robes along with being devilishly handsome, Draco Malfoy was by far the most dashing wizard at the Hogwart's reception. He was garnering many appreciative stares from young and older witches, and sneers from wizards. Draco was used to this; usually by this time he would've zeroed in on a witch for the night, but this night was different. He was looking for only one witch and she hadn't shown up yet.

Hermione walked into the Great Room and was immediately greeted by her friends. Harry was there with his fiancée Ginny Weasley and Ron was with his girlfriend of a few months, Lydia Arbuckle. They expressed their regrets to Hermione that they couldn't make it earlier to watch her demonstration with the horses, but they had a special Auror assignment and had just made it to the reception.

"Don't fret over that. I'm so glad that you're here now!" Hermione reassured them as she hugged them. Ron introduced her to Lydia. Lydia had been two years behind them at Hogwarts. She was a pretty brunette with green eyes, and she and her family ran an inn in Hogsmeade. Hermione thought that she seemed to be nice and it was obvious that Ron adored her. They couldn't keep their eyes off of each other.

As she and her friends were catching up, Mark Draper and his date, DeeDee Stover approached their group. Hermione introduced him and DeeDee to her friends. DeeDee was the new Muggle Studies instructor and Mark had been working up the nerve to ask her out. With Hermione's encouragement, he finally asked her to be his date for the reception. Hermione was happy for Mark; he and DeeDee seemed to be having a good time.

Draco felt trapped. He was standing near his parents when he saw Hermione enter the room. He again was struck by how lovely she was. He was about to approach her when he was cornered by one of his mother's friends, a frumpy middle-aged woman who was married to a Ministry official. Her husband was speaking to Lucius and she wanted to dance, so Narcissa suggested that she dance with Draco. Draco gave his mother an icy stare, but she stared back and motioned her head towards the dance floor. Plastering a fake smile on his face, Draco led the older woman to the dance floor.

Hermione danced a few times with some of the other instructors, including Professor Slughorn, whom Hermione discovered was quite the dancer, as he spun her around the floor. She stifled a laugh when she saw Malfoy dancing a waltz with a woman old enough to be his mother. He didn't look too happy about it either. After being whirled around the room, Hermione thanked Professor Slughorn and left the dance floor to get a drink. As she sipped on a glass of pumpkin juice, something occurred to her. All of her friends were paired off, but here she was the only single one. She had no idea why this hit her so suddenly and a lump began to form in her throat. Hermione decided she needed some air and hurriedly left the Great Room. Her friends didn't notice her sudden departure for they were all on the dance floor, but Draco did. He waited a few minutes, told his parents he was going to the men's room, and he followed her out.

Walking as quickly as she could in heels, Hermione went back to the stable. When she arrived near her living quarters, she slumped against a column near the front entrance. She had forgotten to turn off the music in the stable and was about to turn it off, but stopped when she heard the song playing. As she listened to the lyrics, she broke down and began to sob.

_All those times we looked up at the sky, _

_Looking out so far, _

_We felt like we could fly. _

_And now I'm all alone in the dark of night, _

_The moon is shining, _

_But I can't see the light, _

_And I can't look at the _

_Stars, _

_They make me wonder where you are _

_Stars, _

_Up on heaven's boulevard _

_And if I know you at all, _

_I know you've gone too far _

_So I, I can't look at the stars-"Stars" by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals_

Was she destined to be alone for the rest of her life? Would she ever find someone she could trust and love? All of these questions were flying through Hermione's head as she looked out into the luminous, star-filled night sky. Why did Rory have to turn out to such a fake? She fell so hard for him. When the song finished, Hermione wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She was doing so well and hadn't thought about Rory in a while, but for some reason everything came flooding back tonight. All of a sudden, she was startled out of her thoughts when she heard someone speak.

"Are you okay? You ran out of there pretty quickly," Draco said as he approached her. His eyes raked over her exposed skin at the back of her dress. He wondered how it would feel under his fingers.

Hermione cringed inwardly. _Gods, like I really want to deal with fucking Malfoy,_ she thought as she turned to face him. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I was concerned. You left so abruptly, you didn't even tell your friends you were leaving," Draco said quickly. He hated being put on the spot.

"You're very observant," Hermione snorted.

"Look, I just came by to make sure you were okay. Excuse me for being concerned. I'll let you be and get back to the reception," Draco replied and turned to leave.

This made Hermione feel bad for being snippy. She decided to give Malfoy the benefit of the doubt, it seemed like he was only trying to be a gentleman. "Malfoy, I'm sorry I'm being so bitchy to you. I just needed to get some air."

Draco nodded. "Yes, it was a bit crowded at the reception. I saw you tripping the light fantastic with Slughorn."

"I was amazed at how he's such a great dancer. He gave me a workout," Hermione chuckled.

"Won't your date be looking for you?" Draco asked. He was fishing for information because he wondered if maybe that was the reason Hermione was upset; maybe her date stood her up.

"No, I went solo tonight. No one asked me to be his date," Hermione replied.

"That's a real shame Granger, because you look really lovely tonight," Draco said and held his breath for her response.

"Thanks Malfoy. Hey, do you want a beer? Oh, forget I asked, I'm sure you have to get back to the reception. What about your date?" Hermione asked.

Draco shook his head. "I'm solo like you and I'd love a beer," he replied and smiled.

Hermione smiled back. "I'll be right back," she said as she walked into her quarters. When she was inside, she went to the refrigerator and grabbed two longneck Bud Lights. She had acquired a taste for the American beer and had shrunken a few six-packs of the beer before leaving the States.

When she returned, Draco was leaning against the column. He gave her a strange look as she handed him the blue bottle. "Muggle beer Granger? I thought you were going to bring back two Butterbeers," he said in an amused tone.

"Just drink it Malfoy, I think you'll like it," Hermione grinned as she twisted off the cap and took a long swig. When she finished swallowing the beer, she licked her lips and said "Now that hits the spot."

Draco watched in fascination as Hermione's little pink tongue came out and licked her lips. He groaned inwardly and had to fight the urge to kiss her. He decided to concentrate on the beer. Draco twisted off the cap and took a sip. Liking the taste, he took a long swig like Hermione did. "You're right Granger, this is great!" Draco said, shocked at how smooth the beer was.

"I told you," Hermione said knowingly and for a moment Draco was reminded of the know-it-all she'd been while they were at Hogwarts. He watched as she sat down on the steps at the front entrance of her quarters. She took another sip of the beer and then looked at Draco. "Might as well have a seat Malfoy."

Draco sat down beside her and they began a conversation about the horses and Hermione's experiences in the States. He told her about his family's company, even sharing with her his hopes for the company. Draco was amazed at how easily he told her all of this. Before they knew it, one beer had turned into six!

By this time, they were giggling and laughing as Hermione recalled the time in their first year at Hogwarts and they had to serve detention in the Forbidden Forest.

"You were scared shitless Malfoy," Hermione chuckled and slurred a little.

"Oh and you weren't?" Draco snorted and laughed.

"Nope, not even a little bit," Hermione said in a serious tone, then began to giggle.

Draco stopped laughing and moved closer to her. Hermione stopped giggling and held her breath as he cupped her face and gently kissed her. He pulled away from her and looked at her. "I don't know what came over me, I just wanted to do that."

"It's okay," Hermione started to say as Draco leaned in and began to kiss her again. He groaned when he felt Hermione's mouth open and their tongues touched. She couldn't believe she was actually making out with Draco Malfoy. His lips were so soft and did he ever know how to kiss, Hermione thought as she kissed him back.

Draco couldn't believe his luck; he was making out with Hermione Granger! As he kissed her luscious lips and ran his hands over the soft, warm skin of her exposed shoulders, he forgot all about the bet with Pansy. Hermione awakened something in him; Draco knew there was no way he'd be able to have her only once.

As they continued their makeout session, Draco moved to her neck, planting soft kisses as he worked his way down. He was in ecstasy as he felt Hermione's hands in his hair. Everything was going beautifully until they heard someone call out Hermione's name. When Hermione heard, she jerked up and Draco moved away from her. He had to adjust his robes because of his straining erection.

"Hermione, are you there?" Harry called out.

"Yes, Harry I'm right here," Hermione called back as she saw him approaching. Ginny was with him and so was Ron and Lydia.

"We were wondering where you had gone off to," Harry said and was shocked to see Draco Malfoy sitting beside Hermione. If he didn't know better, he could've sworn they looked like they had just been snogging. Harry quickly pushed that thought out of his head; Hermione had better judgment than that. Still, it was strange to see Malfoy there.

"I just needed to get some air. Malfoy here was kind enough to keep me company," Hermione said lightly.

Draco nodded at everyone. Harry and Ron returned stiff nods. They knew Malfoy and his family was trying to get back into the good graces of wizarding society, but that didn't mean they had to like Malfoy.

"We just wanted to make sure you were okay, looks like you are. We're going to be heading out, Ron and I have another assignment in the morning. It was really great seeing you," Harry said.

Hermione stood up and went to meet her friends. "It was good to see all of you too. Maybe we can get together soon," she said as she hugged them.

Draco watched as she told her friends goodbye. He gave them a small wave and thought good riddance. Leave it to Potty and the Weasel to interrupt when things were going so well with Hermione. He smiled when Hermione walked back to where he was sitting. She sat down again and Draco moved towards her again.

"Shall we finish what we started?" he asked softly.

Hermione sighed. "I have to get up really early. I think I'm going to call it a night. Look Malfoy, I think we just got carried away a few moments ago. I think the alcohol got to us. Thanks for keeping me company."

Draco was floored. This had never happened to him before; no witch had ever been able to resist him! "Sure, no problem. Maybe we can do this again sometime. I really enjoyed talking to you Hermione," he said and wondered if she'd notice he called her by her first name. He liked the way it sounded.

Hermione fought the urge to kiss him again when she heard him say her name. It was the first time he had ever called her Hermione! "I enjoyed talking to you too Draco. Who knows? We might even become friends," she said.

Draco loved the way his name sounded coming from her lips. "I think we can call ourselves friends after tonight Hermione," he said as he stood up. "I sometimes have business in Hogsmeade and I could drop by here."

Hermione nodded and smiled. "Sure, we can do that. See you around Draco," she said as she stood up.

"Yeah, see you around Hermione. I better get back to the reception," Draco chuckled.

Hermione waved to him as she walked into her living quarters and quietly shut the door. She watched as Draco waved back and walked back towards the castle.

_What a strange evening this turned out to be, _Hermione mused. She thought about the makeout session with Draco and wondered how far they would've gone if they hadn't been interrupted by her friends. Hermione shook this thought off and figured it was the beer that made her and Draco get carried away. However as she prepared for bed, she couldn't help thinking that she was looking forward to seeing him again.

**A little more Dramione interaction. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**As always, thank you so much for the reviews and alerts!**


	6. Chapter 6

Run

Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything related to Harry Potter.**

Draco couldn't believe how his evening had gone. He was still perturbed about being disturbed by Potty and the Weasel. Who knew how far he and Hermione would have went if they hadn't been interrupted? It was all good; Draco knew he would be back at Hogwarts in the near future. The taste of Hermione's soft skin lingered on his tongue and he regretted he couldn't go back for more but he sensed that it was going to take time to seduce Hermione Granger. Draco just knew that when she finally surrendered to him it was going to be nothing short of being incredible. As he walked back to the castle, he thought about the bet he had made with Pansy. For a split second, he thought about forfeiting it, but his competitive spirit wouldn't allow it. Draco was determined to win the bet and get the girl.

When Draco returned to the castle, the reception was over and everyone was gone. He hadn't realized how late it was. He shrugged and was able to get a carriage to take him to Hogsmeade. From there, he disapparated back to his apartment in London. As he removed his clothes, he put his shirt up to his nose and inhaled. He could still smell the light scent of Hermione's perfume. At that moment, Draco caught himself and wondered what the hell he was doing. He cast the shirt aside and grabbed a T-shirt out of a nearby bureau. Afterwards, he climbed into bed and went over the events of this evening. He had no idea what was coming over him. This was the first time he had ever analyzed the time he'd spent with a witch. What was Hermione Granger doing to him? When he finally fell asleep, he blamed this on the muggle beer he had consumed. Obviously it was having a strange effect on him; there could be no other explanation.

Hermione woke up the next morning with a slight hangover, but it was nothing that a little bit of hangover potion couldn't take care of. As soon as she dressed, she stepped out and walked in the barn, making sure everything was okay with the animals. When Daisy saw Hermione, the young dog ran up to her and walked with her as she checked everything out. When they were done, Hermione played with Daisy, giving her simple commands as sit and speak. She was speaking in a goofy voice, telling Daisy that she was a good girl when she heard someone call her name. Hermione walked over to where the voice was coming from and was surprised to see it was Ginny.

"Ginny, I'm over here," Hermione called out.

Ginny turned and smiled. "There you are," she said as she walked towards Hermione and Daisy.

"What brings you here so early on a Saturday morning?" Hermione asked as she hugged her friend. She had a feeling she knew why Ginny was there, but she decided to play dumb.

"I came by to see if you wanted to grab lunch in Hogsmeade and find out what you were doing alone with Draco Malfoy last night!" Ginny exclaimed.

"I knew it! I'll be happy to have lunch with you but I'm sorry to say there isn't much to say about Draco," Hermione replied.

"Draco is it? Oh I think there is plenty to say Ms. Granger. You and Malfoy were snogging, admit it," Ginny chuckled.

"A lady never tells," Hermione teased.

"You're no lady Hermione," Ginny teased back.

Hermione flipped the bird and stuck her tongue out at Ginny. They laughed and decided to head to Hogsmeade for an early lunch. Hermione wasn't sure how much she was going to confide in Ginny about the events of the evening before since she was still trying to figure out what happened between her and Draco.

When the two young women arrived at Hogsmeade, they decided to check out a few of the new shops that had recently opened. After about half an hour, Hermione's stomach began to growl so they went over to a new café called The Enchanted Onion. When they were seated they placed their orders. As they waited for their food to arrive and sipped on glasses of pumpkin juice, Ginny started in on Hermione.

"Okay, I've held out long enough. What were you doing alone with Draco Malfoy?"

"Ginny, we were just talking," Hermione replied and hid a smile behind her glass.

"Hermione, give me some credit. I know what someone who's been snogged looks like. You and Malfoy just had these guilty looks you know," Ginny chuckled.

"Fine, we were talking and he kissed me. It's just one of those things. I doubt it'll happen again. We'd been drinking and I really think the alcohol had gotten to us," Hermione said.

Ginny stopped laughing and said in a serious tone, "I don't know. It's just that I've heard Malfoy is quite the ladies' man. Just be on your guard Hermione. Rumor has it that he uses women; he gets them into bed and then wants nothing to do them afterwards. I don't want to see Malfoy treating you like that."

Hermione set down her glass and looked at her friend. "Ginny, I can assure it was just a kiss and nothing more. I can take care of myself. Maybe he is just trying to get into my knickers, but we actually had a nice talk last night before he kissed me. I truly enjoyed our conversation. I think Draco has definitely changed for the better."

Ginny sighed. "If you say so, but I hope it isn't a ploy to try to get you into his bed. I'm serious Hermione," she said when she saw Hermione looking like she was about to laugh. "You can't imagine the stories floating around the Ministry about him. I swear Malfoy must've gone through the whole secretarial pool in the Auror's office within a few months. Harry said it was horrible; everyday there was a witch sobbing because Malfoy hadn't sent her an owl!"

"Oh come on now Gin. I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Hermione replied and burst out laughing.

"Well maybe I exaggerated a bit, but just a bit," Ginny laughed.

"Look, I can handle Draco Malfoy. As far as I'm concerned, he's harmless. I doubt I'll ever encounter him again, but if I do I promise I won't jump into bed with him so he can stomp all over my fragile little heart the next morning," Hermione said sarcastically and rolled her eyes. She hoped Ginny wouldn't see how nervous she was behind the brave front she put up. Draco had stirred up feelings that she had never felt before. She wondered how far they would have gone if they hadn't been interrupted by her friends.

"I hope I haven't overstepped any boundaries. I can't help it; I worry about you because you haven't dated anyone since Rory," Ginny answered.

_Rory. It's strange that Ginny would mention his name because Rory was exactly who was on her mind when Draco showed up at the stable. Huh, the mind is a funny thing because Rory was the last thing she was thinking about after making out with Draco,_ Hermione thought.

"I understand Gin; you're just being a friend. I'm okay," Hermione said reassuringly but inside she wondered if Draco Malfoy was truly interested in her or only wanted another notch in his belt. _Why are you even thinking about this? You'll probably never see Draco Malfoy again. _There were so many crazy thoughts running through her head. She was grateful when their food arrived and they moved on to speaking about something else.

Draco groaned when he was awakened by the insistent tapping of an owl at his bedroom window. He had only been asleep for a few hours. Sighing loudly, Draco slid out of his bed and walked over to the window. He grimaced when he saw that it was his parents' owl. That could only mean one thing. They probably wanted to know where he had disappeared to the night before. As he opened the note and read it, he smirked because he was right. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed a sheet of parchment from a small bureau near the window. He scribbled a hasty reply letting his mother know that he would be meeting them at the Manor for a late lunch. After the owl left, he went into his bathroom to take a shower. Removing his clothes and stepping under the hot blast of the shower, he closed his eyes and thought about Hermione. It wasn't long before his cock was standing at attention. Draco slowly stroked himself to a shattering climax that caused him to shout out her name. As he caught his breath and went back to taking his shower, it occurred to him that it had been ages since he masturbated; maybe the last time was when he was a teenager at Hogwarts. He never had to once he started having sex regularly; there was always a steady and willing stream of witches at his disposal. He was going to have to get Hermione Granger out of his system.

A week passed before Hermione saw Draco again. She kept busy during the day, working with students and the horses, but at night she had time to think. She kept going back to that hot makeout session with Draco, but since she hadn't heard back from him, she decided that it was just a casual and one-time thing. Draco had probably forgotten about it.

It was late on a Friday afternoon. Hermione had finished cooling down one of the Arabians. As she walked out of the stall, she realized that the floor of the stable needed to be swept. It was something that could've been taken care of within a few seconds using magic, but Hermione decided to do it the muggle way. This was comforting to her and reminded her of being at Daisy Springs. As she grabbed the large sweeper, she smiled when Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine" came on. Singing along and dancing while she pushed the sweeper, Hermione never noticed when Draco walked up to the stable and watched her with an amused expression.

Draco had been working like a demon the whole week, but when the day was done and he settled in for the evening, his thoughts were consumed with Hermione. When he was able to break away on Friday afternoon, he disapparated to Hogsmeade. From there he took a carriage to Hogwarts. He wondered if he should've sent an owl to Hermione to let her know he was coming, but decided that showing up unannounced would be better. She would be caught off-guard and wouldn't have time to think about it.

When he arrived at Hogwarts, Draco made his way to the stables. He was about to walk to her quarters when he spotted her in the stables and it looked like she was holding some type of muggle apparatus. He couldn't figure out why she hadn't used magic, but this thought left his mind as he watched her dancing around and singing. Draco's breath caught; he'd never seen a witch look so sexy. The really great thing about it was that Hermione was totally unaware of how alluring she was. He licked his lips as his eyes took a walk all over her body. He liked the way the worn blue jeans she was wearing hugged her curves and that her T-shirt was tied in a knot above her waist, exposing the lightly tanned skin of her taut abdomen. He leaned against a post near the entrance of the stable and waited to see how long it would take for her to notice him there.

Draco closed his eyes for a moment and stifled a groan when Hermione shimmied her hips and worked her way down the long handle of the sweeper. She was really getting into the song and was using the sweeper as a microphone. He couldn't believe how turned on he was getting by her little display. He never would've imagined Hermione could cut loose like this. If she had moves like that while dancing, he couldn't wait to find out how she was going to be like in the bedroom.

When the song was over, Hermione was smiling. That song never failed to put her in good mood. As she was walking over to the storage area of the stable to put away the sweeper, she finally noticed Draco there. She almost jumped out of her skin she was so shocked to see him.

"Draco! How long have you been there? You nearly scared me to death!" Hermione exclaimed.

Draco tossed his head back and laughed as he walked towards her. "I was here long enough. That was quite a show you put on. You were doing some interesting moves with that muggle tool."

"Merlin, I really thought I was alone. This is so embarrassing! I was just being silly," Hermione groaned.

"It really wasn't that bad Hermione. You looked good," Draco replied and looked straight into her eyes.

"Thanks I guess," Hermione said and stared back, then looked away first. She was still trying to get over the shock of seeing Draco and the fact that he was looking at her in such a sexually charged manner. It also didn't help that he looked so handsome in muggle clothes. He was wearing a long-sleeved light blue button down shirt with jeans. The first three buttons of his shirt were unfastened so Hermione had a glimpse of his smooth chest. She wondered what it would be like to kiss his exposed skin. She quickly put that thought out of her head. What was Draco Malfoy doing to her?

Draco sensed that he was making her uncomfortable so he decided to tone it down. "You're probably wondering why I'm here," he said.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I'm surprised to see you here on a big Friday afternoon. Don't you have some soiree to attend?" she joked.

Shaking his head, Draco smiled and replied "No soirees tonight. I had business to tend to in Hogsmeade so when I was done I thought I'd come by and see if you wanted to grab dinner. I know its short notice and I totally understand if you have other plans." He winced inwardly; something about Hermione made him feel tongue-tied and he felt like he was rambling.

She was touched; Draco actually was thinking about her. "I had no plans tonight. Dinner sounds great. I'd just need some time to get ready. I don't think you want to take me anywhere looking like this and smelling like a horse," Hermione chuckled.

_I know exactly where I'd like to take you;_ Draco thought but answered, "Great. I was thinking about that new café that just opened in Hogsmeade. Have you gone there?" he asked.

"Yes I have. Ginny and I had lunch there last weekend. It was really good. I think you'll like it," Hermione replied.

"That's settled. Do you want me to wait out here while you get ready?" Draco asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No, follow me." She led him to her quarters and they walked inside. Hermione brought him to the small living area.

"Have a seat. Do you want anything to drink?" she asked.

"Water will be fine," Draco replied as he sat on a chair. He had no intention of consuming alcohol tonight. He wanted to see if the chemistry they had the weekend before was the same without alcohol. He watched Hermione as she walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She smiled at him as she handed it to him. Draco smiled back and thanked her.

He watched her walk into what was probably her bedroom. After a few minutes, he could hear water running. Draco closed his eyes as he imagined her in the shower. If this was any other witch, he would've been in that shower stall, but something held him back from doing this with Hermione.

As Hermione took her shower she felt giddy with excitement. She couldn't believe how thrilled she was that Draco had come back! She thought about Ginny's warning but she was only going to dinner with Draco. Like he was going to lure her into bed with a dinner invitation. As if.

15 minutes later, Draco was surprised to see Hermione ready to go. She had pulled her hair into a loose ponytail and had applied a little bit of makeup. She looked amazing in a black corset handkerchief dress with a flared skirt. She had paired it with a black cardigan since the evenings were starting to have a chill in the air.

"That's quite a transformation Ms. Granger," Draco said as he gave her an appreciative look. He caught a whiff of the coconut scented lotion she had used and knew he was going to have trouble controlling himself. He desperately pushed this thought out of his head as he smiled at her and offered his arm. "Ready?" he asked.

Hermione smiled back and placed her hand on his arm. "I am. I suppose our chariot awaits?"

Draco nodded and they walked over to the carriage that had brought him there from Hogsmeade. On the way to dinner, they talked the whole time. When they arrived at the café, Draco was shocked that they managed to get through the whole dinner with no uncomfortable silences or lulls in conversation like he'd experienced with countless witches before. Hermione was so different; he'd never met anyone like her.

Hermione was thinking the same thing. Who knew she and Draco had so much in common? She truly enjoyed having dinner with him. Again Ginny's words of warning popped up in her head, but Hermione decided to enjoy Draco's company for the time being. He hadn't done or said anything the whole time they were at dinner to make her think he had ulterior motives.

When they had finished dinner, Draco realized he didn't want this evening to end. As they exited the café, he turned to Hermione.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready for this night to end. The night is still young. Is there anything you'd like to do this evening?" Draco asked.

Hermione wasn't ready for the date to end either. It had been ages since she'd had such a nice time with a man. She thought for a few moments and then turned to Draco with a smile. How about we disapparate to London and catch a muggle movie? I heard that the American film "Silver Linings Playbook" is supposed to be good."

"I've never been to a muggle movie, so why not?" Draco replied and took her arm. They disapparated to Diagon Alley and from there Hermione led them to a muggle movie theater.

Stifling a giggle as they walked into the crowded movie theater, Hermione watched as Draco took in the whole scene around them. She was grateful that she always carried muggle money with her so she paid their tickets. She led him to the section the movie was playing in and they took their seats. Draco jumped when the room darkened and the screen came to life. This time Hermione chuckled out loud.

"You knew I was going to do that, didn't you?" Draco whispered.

Hermione nodded and they turned their attention to the movie. About halfway through the movie, Draco's hand lightly grazed Hermione's. She didn't move away and his hand stayed there for the rest of the movie. When the movie was over and the lights came back on, Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and they walked out. She was ready to release his hand, but he gave her a reassuring squeeze and they stepped out holding hands.

"So how was your first muggle movie experience?" Hermione asked. She couldn't get over that she was on an actual date with Draco Malfoy and she was having a good time.

"I enjoyed it. Maybe we can do this again sometime," Draco said casually. He was very aware of Hermione's hand in his and he enjoyed the feeling. He was hoping that she was enjoying this date as much as he was.

"I'd like that. I love seeing movies on the big screen," Hermione replied. They made their way back to Diagon Alley and disapparated to Hogsmeade. Once they arrived, Hermione tried to tell Draco that she could take a carriage on her own to get back to Hogwarts, but Draco insisted on accompanying her. Secretly she was happy that Draco was going with her. This evening had been wonderful; she wasn't ready for it to end.

Draco held her hand as they rode back to Hogwarts. Hermione was feeling nervous and wondered if he was going to kiss her. When they reached Hogwarts, they disembarked from the carriage. Draco walked with her to her living quarters and when they arrived, he was still holding her hand. He looked at her and smiled.

"I had a really great time tonight Hermione," he said.

"I did too Draco. Who knew you'd like a muggle movie," Hermione started to say but was interrupted when Draco pulled her to him and kissed her. She was startled at first, but she quickly got over this and kissed him back.

Draco was ecstatic when she responded to him. He wasn't sure if she was going to resist him. _This is amazing, _he thought. She was as attracted to him as he was to her! When they came up for air, no words were spoken. Hermione looked at him with her slightly swollen lips and walked into her living quarters. Draco followed her inside.

Once they reached the living room, Draco closed the door and walked over to where Hermione was standing. He reached for her again and their passionate kissing resumed. Draco couldn't describe what he was feeling. It was as if he wanted to know and consume every fiber of her being. Hermione felt her ponytail come undone as Draco ran his hands through her hair. Her hands which were on his shoulders at first made their way to his hair. Draco's scalp tingled as he felt her fingers weaving through his hair.

Draco maneuvered them towards the sofa, gently pushing Hermione down so that she was on her back. He moved over her and they continued to kiss, but this time Draco started to move down, planting soft kisses on her neck and started to make his way to the soft outline of her collarbone.

A part of Hermione wanted to put a stop to this before it went too far, but it felt so good. Draco's kisses made her feel warm and tingly. She thought making out with Rory had been hot, but being with Draco took it to a whole other dimension. Her breath caught when he started to kiss her neck and made his way down to her breasts. Suddenly, he pulled away from her and sat up. He pulled her up to him and Hermione felt like was in a trance as he slowly removed her cardigan. Draco looked into her eyes as he gently pulled down the spaghetti straps and unzipped the back of her dress. She gulped when she felt the top of her dress come down and pool around her waist. Draco continued to look into her eyes and then kissed her as his hands made their way to the front closure of her strapless bra. With one deft movement, her bra was off and his hands were on her breasts. He groaned into her mouth as his fingers softly flicked over her nipples which made them instantly harden.

Draco's lips slowly moved down until he finally reached her breasts. His eyes closed as he took one perfectly formed mound into his mouth. He had no idea this was going to be such an exquisite experience. As his mouth moved from one breast to another, his hands grasped her waist and he pulled Hermione onto his lap. She gasped as his mouth moved over breasts and his tongue teased her nipples. When he heard her do this, Draco looked up at her and gave a small smirk. His hands moved to her hips and he pushed her down so she could feel how excited he was for her.

Hermione bit down on her bottom lip when she felt his erection. This was when the voice of reason began to take over. This was going way too far; she couldn't believe she had let herself get to this point with him. She moved away from him and pulled her dress up to cover her bare breasts. Draco gave her a look of confusion. He thought everything was going well and wondered what was wrong.

"Draco, I'm sorry. We need to stop; I can't sleep with you this soon. I think you're great and we're having a good time, but if I have sex with someone it's because we're in a serious relationship. I sound like such an arse don't I? You must think I'm a terrible tease," Hermione said and looked away from him. She pulled her dress back up and sat down beside him, sighing.

Draco was upset but he knew that Hermione needed more time. It's just that it felt so good and he didn't want to stop. He had a feeling she was enjoying it too but something was holding her back. He took a deep breath and turned towards her.

"Hermione, look at me," he said gently.

She turned to him and Draco lightly brushed her cheek with his knuckles. "I don't think you're a tease. I think you're great too and I really enjoyed our date tonight. We can take things slowly assuming you want to go out with me again," he said.

Hermione smiled. "Of course I want to go out with you again."

"How about I meet you here same time next Friday? We can do anything you want," Draco replied.

"I like that. Next Friday it is. I'll pencil you in on my calendar," Hermione quipped.

They spoke for a few more minutes and Draco was relieved to see that his raging hard-on had finally gone down. He gave Hermione a goodnight kiss and reluctantly headed back to his apartment in London. Once there, he prepared for bed but it was a long time before he succumbed to sleep. Draco couldn't stop thinking about Hermione.

In the weeks that followed and then spread out to two months, Draco and Hermione went out every Friday night. It wasn't long before they were seeing each other on Saturday nights too. Their friends noticed all of the time they were spending together and couldn't believe that they were actually dating. In that time, there were intense makeout sessions, but much to Draco's disappointment, he and Hermione still had not slept together. He was getting frustrated and wondered why she was so hesitant to sleep with him. He knew that she had dated the Weasel and he had heard a bit of gossip about an American bloke, so he wasn't her first.

Pansy, along with Blaise and Theo, noticed how Draco had changed in the last two months. He rarely went out with his friends and if he did, it was only to grab a drink or two. They wondered what Hermione Granger had done to the Draco Malfoy they knew. He still visited his godchild and was there one Saturday afternoon when Pansy inquired about his relationship with Hermione.

"Blaise and Theo were at the shop the other day and they were complaining about how they hardly ever see you because you're always with Hermione Granger. I can't believe how far you're willing to go for a bet," Pansy said.

"You should know by now that I'll never back down from a bet and that I like to win. This one is just taking a little longer," Draco drawled as he let Leo crawl all over him. He had the weirdest sensation come over him when Pansy mentioned the bet. Draco had forgotten about it as he spent more and more time with Hermione. Again, a part of him totally wanted to forfeit, but that damn Slytherin and Malfoy pride took over. He hated losing; it didn't matter what it was.

"She must really be something if you've held out this long. I can't believe you still haven't slept with her! This must be a record for you. I wish something would happen soon. I saw a really nice set of dress robes at Madam Malkin's," Pansy mused.

"Yeah and I can't wait for you to see how much I can drink in one month at The Leaky Cauldron. I'm going to win this Pansy," Draco replied.

"That remains to be seen. I tell you what. Why don't you and Hermione come here for dinner tonight?" Pansy asked.

"What are you up to Pansy?" Draco asked and looked pointedly at his friend.

"Nothing! I just thought it would be nice to finally have you over for dinner with a date who wasn't a complete dunderhead," Pansy replied with a chuckle.

Draco had to laugh. "I guess I have gone out with some pretty dense witches in the past. Dense is the last word I'd use to describe Hermione. She's really brilliant you know. I'll send her an owl and let her know about dinner. I'm sure she'll be glad to accept your invitation."

Pansy smiled and nodded. She noticed how the expression on Draco's face changed when he talked about Hermione; he looked so happy. This went much deeper than a stupid bet. Her friend had finally met his match.

That Saturday afternoon Hermione was horseback riding with Mark. It had been some time since she had hung out with him. He was really busy with quidditch and was spending all of his spare time with his witch, DeeDee. DeeDee was at a conference and wouldn't be returning until that evening, so Mark had decided to visit Hermione and the stables.

When they were on their way back to the stables, Hermione saw Draco's owl flying towards her. As it came closer, it let the note fall into Hermione's lap. Mark watched as a slow smile came over her face as she read the note. He figured the message had to be from the guy she had been seeing for the last two months.

_Hermione,_

_Pansy asked if we would like to have dinner at her house tonight. Let me know if this sounds good and if so I'll pick you up at 6:30 pm._

_Draco_

Once they arrived at the stables, Draco's owl was perched on the fence. Hermione gave it a few treats and went into her office to write a quick reply.

_Draco,_

_Dinner at Pansy's sounds wonderful. See you soon._

_Hermione_

She walked back to the owl and gave her reply. Watching it fly off into the distance, Hermione glanced at her watch and gave a start. She hadn't realized that it was almost 6:00 pm.

"Damn it," she uttered. She was going to be really late after cooling down the horse she'd been riding.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked as he led the horse into a stall.

"Draco is meeting me at 6:30 and I have to get Tibby taken care of. I'm going to be so late," Hermione replied.

"Don't worry about it. I can take care of Tibby for you," Mark said.

"Are you sure Mark? What about DeeDee? Isn't she returning soon?" Hermione asked.

"DeeDee probably won't be back until 8 pm. Go get yourself dolled up for your date, I got this," Mark replied and waved her off.

"You're the best! I owe you one," Hermione said as she ran to her living quarters. Once she was inside, she stripped off her clothes and jumped into the shower. As she was drying off, it hit her that Draco was bringing her to dinner at his friend's home. She didn't want to read too much into it, but was he bringing her there to see if Pansy approved of her or not. She needed to stop overanalyzing this; it was probably just a nice gesture on Pansy's part.

When she was dressed, Hermione looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had decided to wear skinny jeans tucked into knee-length black leather boots. She paired this with a black sweater since it was cold outside. Applying a bit of lip gloss to enhance her lips, she stepped back and smiled. _This was going to have to do,_ she thought as she glanced at her watch and saw that it was now 6:25 pm. Hermione grabbed her bag and headed out to wait for Draco. Mark was still there and had just finished grooming Tibby. He smiled as he stepped out of the stall and saw Hermione.

"Wow! That's quite a transformation. You look really nice Hermione," Mark said.

"Thanks Mark and I really appreciate you helping me out," Hermione replied.

"Really it was no problem. This is so therapeutic for me; I feel closer to my dad when I'm with the horses," Mark said.

Hermione nodded. She was about to reply when Mark began to laugh. "What is it?" she asked.

"I can't believe I'm hearing George Strait. Gosh, I remember the movie that song comes from, I had watched it with my dad," Mark said as he listened to "Baby Your Baby" which was from the soundtrack of the movie Pure Country. A slow grin spread across his face as he grabbed Hermione's hands and began to do the two-step with her.

Hermione laughed as she danced with him. It had been quite some time since she had danced the two-step with anyone. Mark was athletic and graceful as he led her throughout the stable. All of a sudden they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat. Hermione looked towards the sound and smiled when she saw it was Draco.

"Looks like my date is here. Thanks for the dance Mark and for all of your help. Tell DeeDee I said hello," Hermione said as she stopped dancing with Mark.

"It was my pleasure. You two have a nice evening," Mark replied as he walked out of the barn. He nodded and smiled at Draco. Draco looked at him with an unreadable expression and watched him walk away. Mark gave him a quizzical look but then it hit him. Hermione's date probably thought he was hitting on her! _Shit, I hope this doesn't cause any problems,_ he thought. It was all so innocent; Hermione was his friend.

When Mark was out of sight, Draco turned to Hermione. "Looks like I walked in on quite a cozy scene. Do you entertain all of Hogwarts male instructors in the same manner?" he asked with a sneer.

"Mark is my friend. We were joking around and besides he has a girlfriend. What is your problem?" Hermione asked. She had never seen this side of Draco; was it possible that he was jealous of Mark?

"There's no problem at all except that when I'm picking up my date I don't expect to find her in another man's arms," Draco replied.

Hermione sighed. "Draco, I was only dancing with him. Can we forget about this? We're going to be late."

"I suppose so. After you," Draco said stiffly as Hermione gave him a concerned look before walking ahead of him to the carriage that was waiting. He wasn't sure what had come over him. Seeing Hermione with another man sent him into such a fit of jealousy!

It was a quiet carriage ride to Hogsmeade and they barely spoke when they disapparated to Pansy and Roald's home. When they arrived at the front door of the house, Hermione turned to Draco.

"Draco, are you going to be like this all night? If so, I'll go back to Hogwarts," Hermione stated.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I can't explain it but I truly didn't like seeing you with someone else. I guess I'm jealous," Draco admitted. He really wanted this evening to go well and the last thing he wanted was for Hermione to go back to Hogwarts.

Hermione felt her heart melt at this admission. She looked at him with tenderness and stroked his cheek. "There's no reason for you to be jealous. I look forward to the time we spend together. I don't want to be with anyone else."

Draco's heart leapt for joy at this admission. For a fleeting moment, he wanted to take her away from here and bring her to a private place where he could ravish her. That was crazy, but that was how Hermione made him feel. "I enjoy our time together too and I too only want to be with you," he said as he cupped her face with both hands and kissed her gently.

"Are you ready to go in?" Draco asked.

Hermione nodded as Draco smiled at her and knocked on the door. She was a little shocked at what she had admitted to him but was also thrilled that he felt the same way. Hermione was definitely in a better mood as Pansy answered the door and ushered them in.

She had been a little apprehensive about having dinner with Pansy and her family, but as the evening wore on, Hermione was surprised at how much she enjoyed being with them. Dinner was very informal and the food was delicious. When they were done, they retired to the living room where Draco and Hermione played with Leo. Pansy and Roald were amazed at how good Hermione was with Leo. By the end of the evening, Leo was calling her "Mimey" and squealed with delight as she interacted with him.

After tiring Leo out, Draco and Hermione tucked him in. They visited with Pansy and Roald for a bit and then headed out. As they were leaving, Pansy made them promise to come back again and jokingly asked when they would be available to babysit. She watched as the couple disapparated. Roald came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I must say that this went very well. Draco seems to be taken with Hermione," he remarked.

Pansy turned to him with tears in her eyes. Roald's eyes widened and he asked, "What's wrong? Did I say something?"

Pansy shook her head. "No, it's just that I've never seen Draco look so happy. Roald, he's in love with her!"

"I would think that's good. Why are you crying about that?" Roald asked.

"I'm so glad for Draco. It's about time he found someone. Who would've imagined Draco and Hermione Granger," Pansy replied.

"What about that crazy bet you and Draco made a few months ago?" Roald asked hesitantly.

"Merlin, that stupid bet. You know what? I'm going to tell Draco it's off. After what I've seen tonight, Draco isn't dating Hermione just to fulfill the conditions of a bet. He really cares for her," Pansy said.

"Well I hope it all works out. Hermione is a great gal," Roald said.

Pansy smiled and kissed her husband as they walked back into their home. She was truly happy that Draco might finally be settling down.

Draco and Hermione disapparated to Draco's apartment because Leo had spilled grape juice on his shirt. A cleaning spell had cleared a little bit of it, but the grape juice was one tough stain. Draco decided to change his shirt. As he unbuttoned it, he looked at Hermione.

"I shouldn't be long. Make yourself comfortable," he said as he walked to his bedroom.

Hermione looked around her and smiled. This was the first time she had ever seen Draco's apartment. It was very modern and sleek; it looked like a photo spread for a magazine. Everything was in its place and clean; _probably the work of a house elf_, Hermione thought. As she waited for Draco, Hermione suddenly felt a surge of emotion run through her. Their evening had a rocky start, but once they resolved their differences, everything had gone so well. She enjoyed having dinner at Pansy's and finally felt like she and Draco was a true couple. Hermione knew what she had to do as she walked in the direction of Draco's bedroom.

Draco was standing shirtless as he looked in his closet, deciding what shirt to wear. He turned when he heard Hermione walk into his bedroom.

"I'm trying to decide what to wear, sorry if I was taking long," he said and chuckled.

Hermione didn't say anything. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Looking into his eyes, she captured his lips with hers for a searing kiss. She felt his arms enfold her waist and pull her against his bare chest. When they came up for air, Draco looked at her.

"I totally wasn't expecting this," he said.

"Draco, I want you to make love to me," Hermione replied and kissed him again.

Draco couldn't believe his ears. It was finally going to happen! This was so beyond his wildest expectations. He kissed her back and ran his fingers through her soft hair. He had never wanted a witch more than he did Hermione.

Hermione was so nervous yet excited. She was going to do this; she really liked Draco and wanted her first time to be with him. She tried not to shiver as he removed her sweater and her bra. She gasped when she felt his lips and warm hands on her breasts. After a few minutes of this, Draco took her hand and led her to the king-sized bed in the middle of the bedroom. He groaned into her mouth when he felt Hermione's hands unfastening his belt. Within seconds, his pants and her jeans were off. Clad only in their underwear, they got into Draco's bed, where they lay side by side kissing. She struggled to remain calm when she felt Draco's hand pull down her panties. He cast her panties aside and his right hand caressed her thigh. He continued to kiss her as his fingers began to part her soft folds. Hermione's breath caught when he inserted one of his long fingers into her.

When Draco felt how tight and aroused she was, his cock twitched with anticipation. He rid himself of his boxers and moved on top of Hermione. He couldn't believe that they were actually doing this.

Hermione felt Draco gently part her legs with his knees. She looked up at him as he positioned himself at her entrance. He looked into her eyes as he pushed forward but then was met with resistance. Draco frowned as he tried to push again and it finally dawned on him. Hermione was a virgin!

"Love, is this your first time?" Draco asked and couldn't believe it.

Hermione blushed and nodded as she looked away from Draco. _He must think I'm so pathetic. 22 years old and still a virgin. This was a stupid idea, _Hermione thought.

"Hermione, look at me," Draco said softly as he gently grasped her chin and turned her face towards his. When she looked at him, he could see how embarrassed she was. Did she have any idea of what she was offering him? Draco was astounded that he was going to be her first. She was so beautiful, lying there in his bed. He wanted this so badly, but he decided to do the right thing.

"Love, we don't have to do this tonight. Let's get dressed. Maybe we can catch one of those muggle movies," Draco said and started to reach for his clothes when Hermione stopped him.

"Draco I've given this a lot of thought and I want my first time to be with you. Is there something wrong? Am I not desirable enough?" Hermione asked as she sat up, looking at him with some apprehension.

Draco ran his hands through his hair. "Hermione, how could you think that you aren't desirable? I want to make love to you so badly. You're so beautiful," he said as he moved close to her and kissed her.

"I want you too Draco. I want my first time to be with you," she said softly against his lips.

That was all it took for Draco. He covered her body with his and supported his weight on his arms. Looking into her eyes, he began to move forward. "It's going to be uncomfortable at first love. If you want me to stop I will," he whispered in her ear.

Hermione felt a pleasant shudder go through her as she felt his breath and lips near her ear. "I'm ready Draco," she replied. He closed his eyes, casted a contraceptive charm, and slowly pushed into her. Feeling Hermione wince, he covered her lips with hers and pushed harder to break her body's resistance. He felt her gasp into his mouth when he finally broke through her hymen. Draco felt terrible for hurting her but being inside of her was the most incredible experience ever. He still could not get over that he was her first.

_This hurts like hell, _Hermione's mind initially screamed, but as she grew more comfortable and got used to Draco's girth, it was better. She felt so close to Draco and hoped that he was enjoying it and didn't think she was an inexperienced fool. Hermione thought about all of the witches he had been with before and couldn't help wondering if she measured up.

As Draco moved within her, it hit him that how much he cared about Hermione and maybe was actually in love with her. He definitely loved the way she gazed up at him with so much trust in her eyes as he made love to her. It was at that moment Draco knew he would never hurt her and there was no way he was going to let her slip away.

It wasn't long before Draco felt his release approaching. He called out Hermione's name as he burst into her. Hermione held onto him and gasped as she felt his hot seed bursting into her. Catching his breath, Draco slowly withdrew from her and moved to his side of the bed. He pulled Hermione to him.

"I promise the next time will be better. I want to make this so enjoyable for you," Draco said as he kissed her shoulder.

"I'm glad it was you Draco," Hermione said and kissed him. It wasn't long before Draco was aroused and they made love again. This time it was slower and he brought Hermione to an amazing climax. She couldn't get over how good it felt as she felt the sensation pulsate though her body.

Draco closed his eyes and bit his lip as he felt her walls clench around him. He was glad that he was able to make her feel good; he wanted to make every experience with her as pleasurable as possible. His release soon came. When they were done, he cast a quick cleaning spell. They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

When morning arrived, Draco was awake and smiled down at Hermione's sleeping form. This felt so right and he hoped that there were going to many mornings like these in the future. It hit him that he had won the bet with Pansy, but he cast that stupid thought aside. He decided that the bet was stupid and he was going to forfeit. He would buy Pansy Madam Malkin's entire inventory if it meant having Hermione in his life. With that Draco decided to wake his witch up and make love to her again.

**I apologize for the delay on this new chapter! I intend on keeping this one going, just deciding where I'm taking Dramione in this one. Enjoy!**

**As always, thank you so much for the reviews and alerts. I truly appreciate all of your feedback. To guest reviewers, I can't reply to you so thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Run

Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:**** Ya'll know I don't own anything related to Harry Potter.**

Hermione was awakened by soft kisses on her shoulders and warm hands fondling her breasts. It took a few seconds but then she realized that she was in Draco's bed. She watched as Draco's mouth moved down to her breasts. After a few minutes of this, he lifted his head and smiled up at her.

"I knew that would wake you. Did you sleep well?" Draco asked as he reached up to caress her cheek.

Hermione leaned into his touch and smiled back. "I did thanks."

"Good. I wish every morning could be like this. You don't know how happy I am that you're here," Draco replied and caught her in a searing kiss. She responded and this led to another bout of lovemaking. This time it was languid and sensual; by the time it was over, Hermione felt like Draco had kissed every square inch of her body.

About mid-morning, Hermione slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She took a quick shower because she had to return to Hogwarts. Draco tried to get into the stall with her, but Hermione playfully pushed him out. She knew he would've kept her from leaving for another hour or so if he did. Draco also wanted to spend the rest of the day with her, but he knew she had duties to tend to at the school.

When Hermione left, Draco went to his kitchen to get something to drink, but when he arrived he'd forgotten what he wanted. He sat down heavily on a stool located near the island in the center of the large kitchen. It finally dawned on him what had occurred the night before; Hermione had given herself to him. He still couldn't believe he was her first and how this made him feel. It had only been a few minutes since she'd left, but he missed Hermione and couldn't wait to see her again. These feelings were completely foreign to him; no other witch had affected him this way.

Once she returned to Hogwarts, Hermione checked on the horses, glad to see that they were fed and the stalls were cleaned. After speaking to Hagrid and a few of the house elves, she made her way to her quarters. As she walked she felt a dull ache in her lower region, reminding her of what had taken place the night before. Once she was inside, she leaned against the door and let out a deep breath. She grinned and then bit her bottom lip while she shook her head. She still couldn't believe that she had finally lost her virginity and to Draco. She had no explanation for what made her go to him; the only thing she knew was that it felt right. A delicious shiver ran through her body as she thought back to how gentle Draco was with her. She didn't regret this one bit.

When Hermione told Ginny about it a week later, to say Ginny was shocked was the understatement of the year.

"What? You finally lose your virginity and it's to Git Supreme, Draco Malfoy?" Ginny exclaimed.

"Ginny, keep your voice down. I don't need all of London to know I'm no longer a virgin," Hermione hissed. It was a Saturday and they had spent the afternoon shopping in muggle London. They were having tea at a muggle establishment and Hermione had decided to tell Ginny. She was now wondering if this was a good decision or not.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice. It's just that he's the last person I would've imagined you dating, much less being the first guy you slept with," Ginny replied, lowering her voice.

"Gin, I know you don't think very highly of Draco, but he's never been anything but a gentleman with me. I'm telling you, Draco isn't the git we knew at Hogwarts," Hermione insisted.

"I'm just concerned and looking out for you as a friend Hermione. I don't want you to get hurt. I can't help thinking of all of the nasty stories circulating about him and other witches," Ginny said.

"I'm willing to give Draco a chance so I wish you would too. I think I'm falling for him," Hermione replied and was a little nervous as she waited for Ginny's reaction.

Ginny sighed and reached for Hermione's hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "I see how much this means to you, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Thanks Gin, this really means a lot to me. I totally understand where you're coming from because sometimes I wonder how Draco and I got to this point. I just can't explain it; he and I get along so well," Hermione said, relieved that Ginny was coming around.

Ginny smiled at her friend. Hermione looked so happy and she regretted saying what she did about Draco. Maybe Hermione was right; people do change. Their tea arrived and the conversation switched to Ginny and Harry's wedding that was taking place in a few months. Mrs. Weasley had taken care of most of the details, so all that was left was a few dress fittings, along with the groom and his groomsmen's robes which were being made at Madam Malkin's. Hermione and Ginny also discussed the upcoming trip Hermione was making to Montana. She was going for a few days so she could get fitted for her bridesmaid dress for Raylene's wedding the following summer.

As they chatted about the weddings, Hermione's thoughts drifted over to Draco. She couldn't wait to see him later that evening. They didn't go out on Friday evening because Draco had to attend a mandatory seminar for muggle tolerance in Dublin and didn't return until Saturday morning. He had sent her an owl asking if she could meet him at his apartment Saturday evening. He wanted to take her out to dinner in London.

When they finished their tea, the two young women walked over to Diagon Alley and parted ways. Hermione went to her parents' house. She spent some time with them and then went up to her room to get ready to meet Draco. She showered, then dried off and changed into one of the dresses she had bought that afternoon. As she looked into the full-length mirror in her bedroom, she started to put her hair up in a loose chignon, but then decided to wear it down. She hadn't been sure about this dress when she first saw it on the hangar, but Ginny had encouraged her to try it on. She was glad she did. The clingy purple dress hit at her knees and hugged her curves. When she went downstairs to tell her parents she was going out, her father looked and raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know if I want to let you leave the house looking like that!" Mr. Granger exclaimed.

"Dad, please. This is the style," Hermione replied and rolled her eyes in a good-natured manner.

"I think she looks lovely dear. Are you meeting friends this evening?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"I'm actually going out with a friend," Hermione answered. She and Draco were definitely more than friends at this point, but she wasn't quite ready to tell her parents she was in a relationship. If she did, they would want to meet Draco and quite frankly she wasn't sure if he was up for that nor was she.

"Well, have a nice time dear. It was nice having you at home," Mrs. Granger said as she hugged Hermione.

"It was good seeing you and dad too, Mum. Goodnight," Hermione said as she kissed her father on the cheek and walked out.

After a few moments, Mrs. Granger gave her husband a knowing look. "Something tells me this 'friend' is male."

"Yeah I would say that's a safe assumption considering the dress our daughter was wearing when she left the house," Mr. Granger scoffed.

Mrs. Granger kissed him on the cheek. "Stop being such an old fogey. Hermione looked very nice dear and that dress is what all the young girls are wearing these days."

Mr. Granger harrumphed. "Doesn't mean I have to like it," he grumbled and began to watch a program on the telly. No matter how old Hermione was, she would always be his little girl.

When Hermione arrived at Draco's house via his floo, she walked into the living room and was wondering why it was so quiet. She called out his name and when he didn't answer, she went to his bedroom. As she approached the room she could hear water running. Smiling, Hermione thought about surprising him in the shower, but she just couldn't work up the nerve to do something that daring, at least not at this point.

As Draco showered, he thought about his lunch with Pansy earlier in the week. He told his friend that he wanted to forfeit the bet. He was pleasantly surprised when Pansy agreed. She let Draco know that she thought he and Hermione made a great couple. She also said she couldn't believe they had made a bet on something as crude as whether he could get Hermione Granger to fall for him; it was all so immature.

While at the convention, he met up with Blaise and Theo. His friends had wanted to hit the clubs in Dublin Friday night. Draco decided to forgo these plans, choosing instead to have a few drinks with them at the bar in their hotel. The two young men were flabbergasted when Draco left and retired to his room. As Blaise and Theo watched their friend walk out, they were amazed that he ignored two luscious and available birds who were eyeing him with interest.

"What the hell just happened?" Theo asked as he shook his head.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Draco has not been the same for the past few months. I know he's been seeing Hermione Granger, but I thought it was just to nail her. Something is up and I want to get to the bottom of it," Blaise replied.

Theo nodded in agreement. Their qualms about their friend were momentarily forgotten as they tried to pick up the two birds Draco had abandoned. Draco was definitely not the same.

Draco had thought about Hermione all week and was really looking forward to seeing her tonight. What got him was that he was really excited to see her, talk to her, and find out what she'd been up to in the past week. He would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to another bout of incredible lovemaking, but for the first time in his life, it wasn't all about sex. Had he fallen for Hermione?

Draco closed his eyes and let the warm water flow down on him. He hadn't seen her since the weekend before, but they had been sending flirtatious owls to each other the past week. He wanted tonight to be perfect. When he was finished, he dried off and walked into his bedroom to grab a pair of boxers. A slow grin spread over his face when he saw Hermione sitting on his bed.

"Well hello, I didn't hear you come in," Draco said casually as he sauntered by in all his naked glory.

"Hello to you," she stammered a little when she saw that he was nude. "I hope you don't mind that I waited for you here. I didn't mean to intrude," Hermione replied. Her heart was beating faster and she could feel her breath quickening as she watched him walk across the room. _He truly was a magnificent specimen_ she thought.

"Not at all love. I'm glad you're here," Draco said and smiled as he walked up to a chest of drawers. He opened the top drawer and removed a pair of boxers, slipping them on. When he was done, he walked back to the bed and stood in front of Hermione. He extended his hands to her and she placed her hands in his. He gently pulled her up so she was standing.

"I just wanted to see that dress you're wearing. I don't know if I want to take you to dinner looking like that," Draco said as his eyes slowly looked over her.

"Is there something wrong?" Hermione asked thinking maybe her father was right about the dress.

"No it looks way too good. Every man is going to want to ravish you like I do right at this moment," Draco groaned and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. Hermione's heart was beating a mile a minute. She melted into his arms and kissed him back.

Draco reluctantly pulled away and sighed, resting his forehead on hers. "I think we better not get too carried away or we'll never make it to dinner. I'll get dressed and meet you in the living room. It's too tempting to have you in such close proximity to a bed."

Hermione bit her bottom lip and a pretty blush spread over her cheeks. "I'll see you in a few minutes," she replied, giggling slightly as she unknowingly sashayed out of his bedroom.

_Damn it to hell, that witch has a fine arse,_ Draco groaned inwardly as he watched her walk away. The tight dress accentuated her petite yet shapely bum and her curves. He couldn't wait to be alone with her later. He smiled and shook his head as he went to his closet and removed a black suit. Within a few minutes, he was dressed. After a quick look in the mirror to make sure everything was in place, he stepped out to meet Hermione.

Dinner was at a very high-end French restaurant in Diagon Alley. The staff knew Draco by name and was very gracious. Draco explained to Hermione that he had been dining here with his parents as far back as he could remember. Hermione had never set foot in this restaurant; she always thought it was a bit pretentious, so she was pleasantly surprised at how much she enjoyed her meal and the atmosphere. She and Draco had a great time; the conversation flowed easily except for a few moments when Draco would stop and stare at Hermione.

"What? Is there something stuck in my teeth?" Hermione asked playfully, but her stomach did a somersault at the way he was looking at her.

"You always look beautiful, but tonight you have a glow about you. I think you're the loveliest woman in here," Draco said slowly, meaning every word.

"Draco, stop. There are plenty of beautiful women here tonight," Hermione replied, blushing prettily.

"Not like you love, not like you," Draco said softly as he reached for her hands and clasped them between his.

They ended their dinner by sharing a pear tarte tatin with whipped cream. Hermione closed her eyes as she bit into the light crust and sweet pears. She was licking the cream off of her fork when Draco was staring at her again. By the way his eyes were darkening with desire Hermione knew what was on his mind. The dessert forgotten, Draco quickly paid the bill and they left the restaurant. He fought the urge to smirk as just about every man in the restaurant turned to watch Hermione walk out. _That's right she's mine and she's going home with me,_ Draco thought as his arm snaked tightly around Hermione's waist.

They wasted no time once they reached Draco's apartment. Within minutes, clothes were shed and they were in the bedroom. Once there, they collapsed on the bed, never breaking their kiss. When they stopped to catch their breath, Draco spoke.

"I thought about this all week. I really missed you."

"I did too Draco," Hermione replied and started to kiss him again. Draco eagerly returned the kiss and slowly made his way down her body, kissing her neck and then moving to her breasts. His hands grasped them as he moved his mouth to each one; his hands and breath were warm and felt wonderful on Hermione's bare skin. She gasped when his teeth grazed a nipple. Draco gave her a wicked smile and did it again. He moved back up and began to kiss her again, this time more forcefully. Hermione responded and thrust her tongue into his mouth. Draco couldn't wait any longer and moved on top of her, but remembered to cast a contraceptive spell as he did this.

Although Draco cast a contraceptive spell, Hermione wordlessly cast one as well. Better safe than sorry. Hermione was a bit shocked at how much she wanted him as she willingly spread her legs. Draco noticed this and hid a smirk. _She wants this as much as I do,_ he thought as he slowly slid inside of her. He groaned with pleasure as her previously unyielding walls now accepted him. He paced himself to move slowly as he grasped her hands.

"You're mine Hermione, totally mine," he whispered as his thrusts became more urgent. She closed her eyes and her breath caught when she heard him say this. Hermione moved beneath him and loved the sensation of him being inside of her so much that she wrapped her legs around his waist. Draco groaned as he plunged all the way into her. Hermione began to feel the now familiar sensation of reaching climax. Her breaths quickened and when she opened her eyes Draco was looking at her; she knew he was close. This was it; she had pushed him over the edge and into a total fulfillment of ecstasy. As he spilled his seed into her, Hermione felt her orgasm wash over her. Neither one had ever experienced something so intense; there was definitely a connection between them.

As they recovered from their intense session, Draco cast a cleaning charm and wrapped Hermione into his arms. They spoke quietly, telling each other more about what they'd done over the past week. Draco told her about the convention he had attended and Hermione was impressed with what he had to say; he actively took part in learning what he could about being tolerant towards muggles. He truly had made a complete turnaround from the ignorant, intolerant pureblood moron he'd been at Hogwarts. As she listened to him talk, Hermione watched his mouth, thinking about how sexy he was even when he talked and she couldn't help herself.

Draco was a taken aback a bit when Hermione stopped his conversation by kissing him, moving on top of him and straddling him. It didn't take him long to recover as he kissed her back and pulled her to him. Draco was soon aroused again. Hermione noticed and slowly took him inside of her as he growled with pleasure. They moved slowly and she gasped as he buried his face in her breasts.

"You have no idea how much this turns me on; I love fucking you like this," Draco rasped in her ear.

Hermione found that she was turned on by his dirty talk and began to move faster, loving the way his huge cock was buried deep inside of her. She also loved the feel of his warm and firm hands touching her. For someone who had been a complete novice at sex just the weekend before, she was turning into quite the sex machine when it came to being with Draco. Any inhibitions she had completely flew out of the window when she was with him.

Sunday morning came and Hermione was a little perturbed to see the bed was empty. She thought Draco had gone to the bathroom but he wasn't there. She looked around for her underwear and remembered that they were probably in the vicinity of the living room. Hermione walked out of the bedroom and smiled when she spotted her panties and bra in the hall. After pulling them on, she went to the kitchen but there was no sign of Draco. _Where the hell did he go? _She thought as she walked through the apartment. She checked the bedroom to see if he had left a note, but she didn't find anything.

Hermione found her dress strewn on a chair and put it on. Holding onto her shoes, she was debating whether to leave a note or not when Draco walked in. He had two cups of coffee and a bag from a muggle bakery that was a few blocks from his apartment. He smiled when he saw Hermione.

"Good morning love. I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed," Draco said.

"I didn't know where you'd gone. I didn't like waking up in an empty bed," Hermione pouted playfully as she walked towards him. She was so touched that he wanted to surprise her.

"Mm, I'll make sure that'll never happen again. Come here," Draco growled as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. From there they walked into the kitchen and had breakfast.

As Hermione drank her coffee and broke off pieces of her blueberry muffin, she still couldn't get over that she was sharing breakfast with Draco after an evening of amazing sex. She realized how much she liked being with him like this. A small part of her could see Draco perhaps being the man she could spend the rest of her life with, but her reasonable side took over. It was way too soon to be thinking that way and absurd because only a few months before she despised him. This was all so new to her; Draco was stirring up feelings she never experienced.

Last night had been fantastic but Draco found that he was also enjoying having breakfast with Hermione. He didn't know what compelled him to go out and get breakfast other than he wanted to do something nice for her. Hermione was conjuring feelings within him that he'd never felt before. _Is this what love feels like? _Draco asked himself but pushed that thought out of his head. He needed to take his time with Hermione and figure this out, but there was definitely something incredible between them.

"What do you want to do next weekend?" Draco asked.

Hermione groaned; she had been so preoccupied with Draco and Hogwarts, she had forgotten to tell him about her trip. "I can't believe I forgot to tell you! I'm leaving next Thursday to go to the States and I won't be back until Sunday night. I'm walking in my friend Raylene's wedding next summer and I have to get fitted for my dress."

"Oh. I totally understand you have a prior engagement," Draco replied nonchalantly but deep down he was disappointed.

"Yeah, I'd get out of it if I could but Raylene is counting on me to be there. She wants to make sure the other bridesmaids and I look good in the dresses. In the muggle world, the dresses will have to be made to order and sometimes take months to arrive. Then when they do, they almost always have to be altered," Hermione said and knew she was rambling, but she couldn't help feeling that Draco was a little upset that she wouldn't be there next weekend.

Draco nodded. "I get it. I'm sure it'll be nice to see your friend. We'll owl each other during the week."

"Of course we will. Draco thanks for last night and breakfast. I really enjoy being with you," Hermione said softly and bit her lip as she waited for his reply.

"You're welcome love. I enjoy the time we spend together too," Draco said and smiled.

They finished their breakfast and Hermione headed back to Hogwarts. A feeling of longing filled Draco when she was gone. It suddenly hit him how much he was going to miss not seeing her the following weekend. _Merlin's bullocks _he thought, _am I falling in love with her?_

The following week passed by with them sending flirty notes via owls every day until Thursday. As Hermione packed for her trip, her gaze fell on the gorgeous bouquet Draco had sent to her that morning. She felt a small flutter in her heart when she read the note attached to them.

_Have a wonderful and safe trip. I will be counting the days until you get back. –D._

The words were simple but there was so much depth behind them or perhaps that was wishful thinking on her part. She was definitely going to miss Draco and would also be counting the days along with the hours and minutes until she was back in his arms again. Hermione sighed as she picked up her bag and walked out of her living quarters. Who would've ever imagined she would be carrying such a sense of longing for Draco Malfoy?

When the plane touched down on the runway at the Bozeman, Montana airport, Hermione found that her spirits had lifted somewhat. Although she was going to miss Draco, she was looking forward to seeing Raylene again and visiting Daisy Springs. When she walked through the airline's gate, Raylene was waiting. As soon as she spotted Hermione, Raylene hollered and grabbed her friend in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're finally here girly! We are going to have so much fun!"

"It's so good to see you! You look wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed. Raylene did look very pretty in a fitted coral-colored sweater paired with jeans tucked into soft leather camel colored knee-length boots.

Raylene stepped back and looked at Hermione. "You're looking pretty great yourself." Hermione was dressed in a similar fashion except her sweater was light blue and her boots were black. Raylene then cocked her head and scrutinized Hermione more. "There's something different about you."

Hermione gave a small chuckle and rolled her eyes in a playful manner. "You just haven't seen me in quite some time. I still look the same."

"Nope, there's something about you," Raylene said as she shook her head. Suddenly her eyes widened and she grasped Hermione's shoulders. "Oh shit, who's the guy? You did it, didn't you?" she whispered in Hermione's ears.

"What are you talking about? How can you tell by looking at me?" Hermione replied and blushed.

"Gotcha! Look at that blush! Come on, you can tell me all about it in the truck. I want to know every detail," Raylene said as she took Hermione's bag and linked arms with her.

Hermione only laughed and shook her head. She had only been back in the States for a few minutes and hadn't seen Raylene in months, yet her friend knew there had been a significant change in her love life.

The next few days passed by in a whirlwind. In that time, Hermione was able to visit Daisy Springs and see her ex-employers, Pat, and other friends at the ranch. Saturday was spent in Billings, Montana with Raylene's mother, future mother-in-law, and the other 5 bridesmaids. They lucked out and were able to find dresses at the same shop where Raylene had purchased her wedding dress. Once the dresses were ordered, the women had a wonderful time spending the rest of the day together. Hermione was a bit shocked when Sunday morning quickly arrived and she was headed back to London. The last few days had been very productive and she truly enjoyed her visit but she was happy to going back home. She couldn't believe how much she was looking forward to seeing Draco. When she told Raylene about him, her friend had been very supportive and was glad to see Hermione was so happy.

Draco hadn't known what to do once Hermione was gone. He had gotten used to their routine of spending every weekend together and was lost. He felt out of balance, as if something in his life was unbalanced. It was a bit shocking for him to realize how much he missed her. Friday night rolled around and he had decided to have a quiet night at his apartment, or so he thought. Blaise and Theo had different plans for him.

As he was about to prepare a light dinner, Draco heard his floo being activated. Frowning because he wasn't expecting anyone, he walked over to the living room. He sighed and smirked when he saw his two friends burst out.

"Dray! What's up mate? What's the plan for the evening?" Blaise asked when he saw Draco.

"Yeah, the night has just begun. It's been ages since you've really been out with us," Theo added.

"Guys I just want to have a quiet night at home. I had a long week at work," Draco said as he ran his hands through his hair. He truly did not want to go out this evening.

"Why don't you come and have a few drinks with us at The Leaky Cauldron? I'm surprised we were able to find you here. No plans with Granger this weekend?" Blaise asked and gave Theo a knowing look. Trouble in paradise was what they were thinking.

Draco caught the look and grimaced. "Hermione had to go to the States this weekend. Seriously guys, I had a rough week and I want to take it easy."

Blaise and Theo looked at each other with raised eyebrows. They caught the way Draco referred to Granger by her first name. Was their friend whipped or what? They weren't going to let Draco off the hook that easily. "Come on, just a few drinks. I'm sure _Hermione _won't mind," Blaise chuckled.

Draco decided at that moment that going out for a few drinks with his friends couldn't hurt. He had been neglecting them, but Hermione was so much more important to him. Sighing again, Draco gave his friends a weary smile. "Okay, give me a chance to dress and we'll go out," he said as he walked out of the living room.

"You won't regret this Dray!" Blaise called out.

Theo waited until Draco was out of sight and then turned to Blaise. "Something is definitely going one with Dray and Granger. This is more than some casual shag."

Blaise nodded. "I agree. I never thought I'd see the day that Draco would let a witch come between his friends. I don't see this lasting; if I know Draco he'll soon get tired of her and be back to his old ways."

Theo nodded in agreement. After a few minutes Draco came out, dressed immaculately in jeans and a green jumper which complemented his pale hair. The young men left Draco's apartment and headed straight to The Leaky Cauldron.

Ginny had spent Friday afternoon looking over floral arrangements for her wedding. She was accompanied by Mrs. Weasley, her sister-in-law Fleur, and good friend Luna Lovegood. She wished Hermione could've been with them, but she knew that her friend had to go to the States. After finding suitable arrangements, Mrs. Weasley headed back to The Burrow but Ginny and the other young women decided to grab a bite to eat before heading back. They decided that the delicious, steaming hot beef stew served at The Leaky Cauldron would be perfect since it was such a blustery and cold November afternoon.

The young women had finished their meal and were enjoying cups of hot chocolate before they left to go home. Ginny heard loud voices and saw that Draco Malfoy had come in The Leaky Cauldron with Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott. Her curiosity was piqued seeing Draco there. She wondered what he was up to since Hermione was out of the country. The young men never noticed Ginny seated in a booth with Fleur and Luna. They sat in the booth behind them so Ginny was able to listen to their conversation. She was glad that Fleur and Luna were having a discussion about cooking with herbs, so they didn't notice that she wasn't paying attention to their conversation.

The waitress came up to the young men's table and they ordered a round of butterbeers along with shots of Firewhiskey. When she left to get their drinks, Blaise and Theo began to question Draco about Hermione.

"What exactly is the deal with you and Granger? You've never spent that much time with a bint before," Blaise started.

"Yeah, I've been wondering about that too. Does Granger have a magical snatch or something?" Theo asked with a raucous laugh. Blaise thought this was pretty funny too and snickered while they waited for Draco's reply.

Ginny's ears perked up when she heard this, so she leaned into the booth so she could hear Draco's reply over the voices of the other patrons.

Draco wanted to tell his friends that that these last few months with Hermione had been the best he'd ever spent in his life but he knew they would only laugh at him and say he was a pussy. Although being with Hermione was changing him for the better and he was coming to terms that she was the witch for him, that damn Malfoy pride took over. At that moment, Draco felt it was more important to save face in front of his friends so he told them about the bet he'd made with Pansy.

"What if I told you guys it was all for a bet?" Draco asked with a smooth drawl. Deep down he knew this was so wrong, but he figured this was the only way his friends would understand why he kept on seeing Hermione. At that moment, the waitress brought their drinks. When she left, Blaise started.

"A bet? Do tell," Blaise said with raised eyebrows.

"Pansy bet that I couldn't make Granger fall for me. It took a few months, but guess what? I won the bet," Draco said as he took a sip of his butterbeer.

"What do you mean you won the bet? Did Granger fall in love with you Drakey poo? Theo asked in a simpering voice.

Draco rolled his eyes. "No you fucking idiot, I sealed the deal with Granger. I slept with her."

"No way! You and the Gryffindor Princess? I've seen Granger around, she's been looking good. Was she a good shag or what?" Blaise asked.

"Good enough to win a bet!" Theo exclaimed.

"Okay, I get that it was a bet but why are you still seeing her?" Blaise asked.

Draco shrugged. "She's a damn good shag." He felt like a total shithead for saying this but he figured no one was there to hear. He figured this would placate his friends for the time being. Eventually he was going to have to tell them that he was tired of one-night stands and Hermione was the witch for him, but not this evening. Blaise and Theo laughed uproariously as they reached over and clapped Draco on the back. To them, shagging Hermione Granger was the ultimate score. Draco was a god in their eyes.

When Ginny heard this, her hands balled up into fists as she struggled to stay calm and not burst out of the booth to confront Draco. This was beyond messed up, who the fuck did Draco Malfoy think he was to play with Hermione's feelings in this manner? Not long after this she got up to leave with Fleur and Luna. Ginny decided to keep this startling news to herself. She knew she was going to have to tell Hermione, but hated that she was going to have to hurt her friend. What really pissed Ginny off was that Malfoy had gotten Hermione to trust him and it was all one big farce. _People can change, yeah right. He's still as huge a git as was at Hogwarts,_ Ginny thought as she walked out of The Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione arrived in London late Sunday afternoon. She was going to take a floo directly to Hogwarts, but at the last minute she changed her plans. She had missed Draco so much she decided to take a chance and surprise him at his apartment. She made her way to Diagon Alley and took a floo. When she arrived at his apartment, she called out his name. She didn't receive an answer and wondered if he wasn't in, but as she walked towards his bedroom she heard water running. Hermione smiled as she began to strip off her clothes.

As he thought about the night before with his friends, Draco inwardly winced. He regretted telling them about the bet. As he was thinking about his, his thoughts were interrupted when the shower door opened. He couldn't believe it when a very naked Hermione Granger walked into the stall. It wasn't long before he got over the shock and pulled her against him. He kissed her deeply and groaned when her mouth opened, their tongues fighting for dominance. This was so much more than he could've ever imagined. When they came up for air, Draco looked down at her and spoke.

"Wow, this is a great welcome," he murmured as he stared at her with those sensual grey eyes.

"I missed you," Hermione replied as she looked back at him.

_Merlin I could totally lose myself in those gorgeous eyes of hers, _Draco thought. "I missed you too love. I'm so glad you're back."

In the next few moments, Hermione found herself pressed against the wall of the shower and her legs were wrapped around Draco's waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck while his hands gripped her hips. He looked into her eyes as he slowly entered her. Hermione felt her breath catch as she took him in; she was still adjusting to his girth. As they began to move slowly, she began to relax and Draco picked up the pace. As he was nearing his peak, he growled into her ear.

"You can't imagine how much I love fucking you!"

How this dirty, raw statement turned her on. "I love you fucking me Draco," she replied, her lips tickling his ear.

Draco almost blew his load right then and there. This was so much more than he expected; the Gryffindor princess talking dirty! He was so freaking turned on.

Hermione breath began to quicken as she felt tingling and warmth radiating down her spine and all the way down to her toes. Her hands slammed against the shower wall as the intensity of the orgasm hit her and she screamed out Draco's name.

This was too much for Draco to bear and he felt his release come over him shortly after. As they came down from their frenzied bout of lovemaking, he pushed away Hermione's wet hair that was covering her face, kissing her deeply. They managed to finish showering and stepped out. Draco handed Hermione a towel from a cabinet and grabbed one for himself. When they were done, they went into Draco's bedroom.

Hermione was wrapped in the towel and sat on the bed. She watched as Draco went to a bureau of drawers, taking out a pair of boxers. Draco walked over to the bed and gave her a playful kiss on the nose.

"This was so unexpected, but I'm glad. Did you have a nice trip?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "I did, it was good seeing my friends again. How about you? What did you do this weekend?"

"I had a few drinks with Blaise and Theo Friday night and then I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out here," Draco replied as he sat beside her. He felt guilty as he once again thought about what he had said to his friends, but this was momentarily forgotten when Hermione removed her towel and reached for him.

They made love slowly this time and fell asleep afterwards. As she fell asleep wrapped up in Draco's arms, Hermione figured she could wake up early. She would be able to make it to Hogwarts with plenty of time to spare before her classes started.

Draco was blissfully happy as he held Hermione in his arms. At that moment he thought about his friends. They could go fuck themselves, this was all that mattered and he realized that he didn't care what they thought about what he was doing with Hermione.

Hermione woke up at about 4:00 a.m. and took care not to wake Draco as she slipped out of his arms. She walked over to the bathroom and dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt she'd Accio'd from her bag. Slipping on her cowboy boots, she walked back into the bedroom and smiled as she looked at Draco sleeping. She walked over to the window to see what the weather looked like because she thought she had heard rain falling.

Draco stirred and frowned when he realized Hermione wasn't beside him. He turned over and smiled when he saw her looking out of the window. He was a bit disappointed to see that she was dressed to leave for Hogwarts, but he knew she had to get to work. He sat up and watched her for a few moments, and it hit him that he loved her.

_When the sun came up this morning_

_And she smiled her smile for me_

_I felt it for the first time_

_Something deep inside of me_

_So you can take your midnight ramblin' boys_

_And you can keep your winding roads_

_She's livin' inside my heart now_

_Livin' inside_

_Oh there's an easiness about her_

_There's a softness in her way_

_But she gets me through the hard times_

_We get closer everyday_

_I know I'll never be alone now boys_

_Cause even if I'm far away_

_She's livin' inside my heart now_

_Livin' inside_

_yeah_

_And I don't know what I did to deserve her_

_But I'll tell you this my friend_

_I'm never gonna lose her_

_Never gonna lose her_

_Cause every night_

_She's livin' inside my heart now_

_Livin' inside_

_**-Livin' Inside My Heart-Bob Seger**_

Hermione closed her eyes when she felt Draco's arms wrap around her waist and he pulled her to his warm body. She placed her hands on his and turned her head to kiss him on his cheek.

"I hope I didn't make too much noise and wake you," she said softly.

Draco nuzzled her neck. "No, I noticed you weren't in the bed. I wish you didn't have to leave so early."

"I know, but duty calls. Thank you for another lovely evening. I'll owl you this week," Hermione said as she turned towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Placing his forehead on hers, Draco smiled. "You better owl me. I'm so glad you surprised me last night. I'll see you next Friday."

Hermione smiled back. "Next Friday it is." She kissed him goodbye and giggled as she pulled away from him. Draco was trying to pull her back to the bed and she was tempted, but there just wasn't any time.

Draco followed her to the living room and waved as she took the floo to her destination. He was really going to miss her this week. _Friday cannot come soon enough _he thought as he headed back to his bedroom.

Hermione made it back to Hogwarts in plenty of time and immediately took care of her duties. The day went by quickly with classes and tending the animals. She was tired by the end of the day, but was happy. Earlier that day she had received another bouquet of flowers from Draco. When she walked into her quarters, she walked over to it and read the card again.

_3-2-1 Countdown to Friday! Miss you-D._

She smiled as she set it down next to the bouquet. Hermione was about to head to her bedroom for a shower when there was a knock at her door. Thinking that it was Hagrid or the house elves that needed something, she walked over to the door.

"What did I forget?" she asked in a playful manner, but then a surprised look came over her face when she realized it was Ginny. "Gin? What are you doing here?" she asked as she opened the door to let Ginny in.

"We need to talk," Ginny said as she walked in while Hermione gave her a puzzled look.

**Oh my, the drama fairy has struck again! Hope you enjoy this update and forgive me for taking so much time to get it posted. Hope everyone had a good Easter holiday. I'm enjoying my Spring break at the moment. **

**Note: I used Bob Seger's song from the soundtrack of the movie "About Last Night." I think it is one of his best songs and I thought it was so fitting for Draco and Hermione. **

**As always, thank you for the reviews and alerts, it means the world to me. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Run**

**Chapter Eight**

**Disclaimer: HP is the property of the wonderful Ms. J.K. Rowling. **

Maybe it was her so-called woman's intuition, but something in the tone of Ginny's voice told Hermione that this was not going to be good. She invited Ginny into her living quarters and shut the door behind them.

"Gin, this is so unexpected. What is it that we need to talk about so urgently that you felt the need to come here?" Hermione asked, a weird sinking feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

Ginny took a deep breath. "Hermione, let's sit," she said as she took a seat on the couch in the living room.

Hermione was still standing and was still a bit unsure of what she should do. "Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked out of habit and nervousness.

Her friend shook her head. "No thank you. Merlin this is so messed up and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to know."

"What is it Ginny?" Hermione asked softly and sank down next to her.

"Last Friday evening I was at The Leaky Cauldron with Fleur and Luna. We were having dinner and Draco showed up with Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott. They never noticed us and sat in a booth behind us. I was able to listen to their conversation and Hermione, it centered on you," Ginny said quickly.

Hermione sat up straighter and fixed Ginny with a hard stare. "Go on," she said flatly.

"Blaise and Theo asked Draco why he was spending so much time with you. Draco told them that it was because of a bet he'd made with Pansy Parkinson Chalmers," Ginny replied and braced herself for Hermione's reaction.

"A bet? Lay it on me Gin, I'm sure this is going to be good," Hermione said humorlessly as she continued to stare at her friend.

"He said that Pansy bet him that he couldn't make you fall for him. Draco told his friends that it took some time but he won the bet and that was why he spent so much time with you. All for a fucking bet," Ginny said and shook her head. "Hermione, I wanted so badly to jump into that booth and hex him, beat the crap out of him, something, but I couldn't make a scene in front of Fleur and Luna. I haven't told anyone about you and Draco."

"Is that all?" Hermione asked, still speaking in a flat tone.

Ginny shook her head again. "No. When one of those gits he hangs around with asked why he was still with you, Draco said it was because you were a good shag." She waited for Hermione's reaction to this, wondering if her friend was going to go totally ballistic. Instead she watched in shock as Hermione sat back and laughed harshly and then began to speak.

"That's quite a revelation Ginny. Thanks for sharing that with me," Hermione spat.

"Hermione, I hope you aren't pissed at me. I mean, if I was in your position I'd want to know if some guy was making an arse out of me," Ginny replied.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not pissed at you. Tell me something Ginny? I thought everything was fine. Draco has been so sweet to me these past few months. How could he do this all for a bet? What the fuck is wrong with him? I should've listened to you Gin. You tried telling me about his track record with women. Why the hell did I think I'd be any different? Oh Merlin, I've really screwed up. I can't believe I was so fucking stupid. You want to hear something really messed up? I slept with him last night."

Ginny felt terrible but Hermione needed to know. "I'm sorry Hermione. From what you'd been telling me I wanted to give Draco the benefit of the doubt. I'm angry at what he did to you, but I'm also disappointed. You want to believe that people can change for the better and something like this happens. For the record, you are far from stupid Hermione. You fell for him. Let's face it, Draco is a great looking guy and can turn on the charm."

"I don't know what's real anymore. Ginny, Draco made me feel so special. Wow, what must he really think of me? A bet of all things. I can really choose them Gin. I feel so used," Hermione said, her voice cracking and a few tears spilling down her cheeks.

"For what's it's worth Hermione, as far as I know no one within our circle of friends knows about you and Draco, except for me. Hopefully his friends won't go around blabbering about this. What are you going to do?" Ginny asked, as she gently took one of Hermione's hands in her own.

Hermione sighed and wiped away the tears. "I know I'm not going to take this sitting down. I will definitely confront Draco about this. I want to hear what he has to say." She looked around the living room and jerked her head towards a bouquet of flowers. "Look at that bouquet Gin. I know it wasn't cheap. He really went all out; all for a fucking bet. You should see the notes he sends me. How could he play with my feelings and emotions like that? As if I'm not human or something."

"Don't say that Hermione! You are one of the strongest, most intelligent women I know. You truly believed that Draco had feelings for you. Hell I was wanting to believe it too when I saw how happy he made you. Do you want me to stay here tonight? I don't have to be at practice until tomorrow afternoon," Ginny said. After finishing at Hogwarts, she was recruited by the Holyhead Harpies and was a star player on the professional quidditch team.

"I'll be fine Gin. Go on back to Grimmauld Place. I'm sure Harry is wondering where you are," Hermione said absently and started to walk over to her small kitchen. She needed a cup of tea; it was going to be a long night as she processed what Ginny revealed to her.

"Harry and Ron are off on an assignment. It's no problem, I'll stay. Let's have some tea," Ginny said gently as she followed Hermione to the kitchen. She ended up staying for the night. The two friends talked until the early morning hours. When it was 2 a.m., they tried to get a few hours of sleep, but Hermione's mind was still racing, so she only tossed and turn. She finally gave up and was up at 6:30 a.m. Ginny woke up a few minutes later and left soon after but not before making sure Hermione was okay.

Somehow Hermione managed to make it through the day. She focused on her students and the horses. The only time she almost broke down was when she received an owl from Draco.

_One day closer to Friday. Miss you.-D._

For a moment, she thought about performing an Incendio charm on the note, but she placed it near the one she had received the day before. Using every bit of self-restraint she had to ignore it, Hermione decided to play it cool and wrote back.

_Can't wait-H._

As the week progressed, Hermione kept this pretense up of sending cutesy, flirty messages back to Draco so he wouldn't suspect anything was amiss. Hermione started building up a shield of indifference, a way of protecting herself from getting hurt again. Of all of the available wizards, how could she have let herself fall for Draco Malfoy? She couldn't wait to confront him on Friday. Hermione began to form a plan.

Different scenarios began to crop up in her mind as Friday approached. In the end, Hermione decided that the best approach would be to ask Draco about it in a casual manner. It was going to be interesting to see his reaction.

Draco usually arrived at 6:30 p.m. Fridays. In the past, Hermione had always been dressed and ready to go. This Friday when it was almost 6:30, Hermione was still in her work clothes and needed a shower. She had no intention of dressing up for Draco. She was helping one of the elves with a horse that needed to have a shoe replaced when Draco walked into the stable. When he found Hermione, he was a bit taken aback at her appearance.

"Hey love, did you lose track of time? It's 6:30," Draco said jokingly. Although Hermione was still in her work clothes, he was still turned on by how the faded jeans clung to the soft curves of her petite frame.

Hermione continued to monitor the elf as he tacked on the shoe. After a few moments, she turned to look at Draco as she walked out of the stable and towards her quarters. He looked so devastatingly handsome in dark jeans and a sage-colored button down shirt. For a moment, she wanted to forget about what Ginny had told her and jump into his arms, but this soon passed as she regained her composure. "Is it now? I guess I was so busy I did lose track of time. I _bet _that is what happened," she said pointedly with a smirk on her face.

Draco gave her a strange look as he followed her. _Something isn't right, _he thought. "Is everything okay love? Did you have a bad day?" he asked, concerned as he moved closer to her. He was about to brush her cheek when Hermione gave him a withering look. Draco looked at her with a hurt expression. _What the hell was happening? _He asked in his mind.

Hermione's heart almost melted when she saw the hurt look on his face, but she needed to confront him about this. "Yeah it's safe to say I had a bad day and a bad week. Let's just say I found out something really interesting about a bet you made with Pansy Parkinson Chalmers regarding me," Hermione spat and waited for his reaction.

Draco's face reddened and then paled. _This couldn't be possible! How did she find out?_ He decided that his best option was to come clean with her. "I don't know who told you about this, but look it was something really stupid on my part and Pansy's. When I started to get to know you, we forfeited the bet. I'm really sorry, I never meant to hurt you. I've come to really care about you Hermione."

Hermione looked at him and shook her head. "So it is true. You only went out with me to fulfill the terms of a bet, but along the way you started to care for me? Who the fuck does something like that Draco? Do you get some kind of perverse pleasure from messing around with someone's life? I've come to care for you too, but now I realize that I don't know who you are or what I really mean to you. You're telling me that the bet is over with you and Pansy yet just last Friday you were telling your stupid friends that you won the bet. "Yeah, don't look so shocked," she said sarcastically when Draco opened and closed his mouth rapidly, as if he wanted to interrupt her. "A friend of mine was at The Leaky Cauldron and heard everything!"

Draco wracked his brain as he thought about the events of last Friday. He never noticed any of Hermione's friends at The Leaky Cauldron. He wondered if it was that sneaky Harry Potter or Ronald Weasley. They hated him and this revelation probably made their day, probably their year. "Hermione, I don't know what to say. It was really stupid, but my friends are such jerks. They'd never understand what you and I have. I didn't think it was such a big deal to tell them about the bet. They'll just have to get used to the idea that we're together. I'm so sorry. I want to move past this Hermione. I'll do anything to make this up to you."

"At the moment I don't think you can Draco. I wanted to believe that you'd changed and weren't capable of something like this. Look I just want to be alone. I need time to think about this," Hermione replied. It was breaking her heart as she caught the look of desperation in his eyes, but she honestly didn't know what to think anymore. _Are his feelings real or is it all a ploy to keep sleeping with her? _

Draco lightly grasped her arms to pull her to him, but Hermione remained in place with her arms folded and a stoic look on her face. "Don't do this Hermione. We can fix this. Come on, let's go inside and talk this out. Don't walk away from me," Draco said as she turned away and walked to her front door. He started to follow her in, but Hermione put a hand up to stop him, shaking her head.

"No Draco, stay where you are. You need to give me some space. Just go," Hermione said as she closed the door. When she was inside, she closed her eyes and leaned against the door. Tears were coursing down her face and she really wanted to let Draco in, but she had her pride. She winced as Draco banged on the door.

"Hermione, let me in! We need to talk about this. I'm not leaving until we do," Draco yelled, not caring who heard him.

She turned and opened the door. "Draco, leave! Quit making a spectacle-," Hermione started to say, when Draco brushed past her and shut the door. She looked at him and slowly shook her head. "Get out Draco."

"No, I'm not going anywhere until we discuss this. Just hear me out Hermione. Why don't you cool down and take a shower. I'll whip up something for dinner while you're doing that," Draco pleaded.

She really wanted to tell him to go, get out of her life and never come back, but there was something in his eyes that stopped her. There wasn't any trace of the arrogant git she and her friends loved to hate at Hogwarts. Draco looked like he was really sorry for what had happened. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance they could work this out. It was at that moment Hermione realized she was in love with him. _Why did life have to be so freaking complicated?_

"Okay Draco, but when I get out of the bathroom you better be ready to be interrogated. I want to know everything," Hermione stated with a determined look on her face and then turned to walk to the bathroom.

Draco let out a sigh of relief. "I'm an open book, I'll tell you anything you want to know," he called out to her. _Thank Merlin, thank Merlin_ he thought. He was so thankful that Hermione was willing to hear him out. He could've kicked himself for being so damn stupid and all because he didn't want to catch any crap from his stupid friends. Draco didn't know how he was going to handle this if Hermione ultimately decided that she no longer wanted to see him.

As he rummaged through her kitchen, he shook his head. There really wasn't anything to make a meal. Draco thought for a few seconds and summoned one of the house elves from Malfoy Manor. The male elf appeared instantly and listened as Draco gave him instructions. Within minutes, an elf named Dorfin returned with a container of steaming beef and vegetable soup, bread, and two salads. Draco thanked him. Dorfin nodded and disappeared since his duty was done. Draco set the small table in Hermione's kitchen and sat down. He couldn't hear the flow of the water from the shower, so he figured she was done with her shower. Draco took a deep breath and waited patiently. After a few minutes, Hermione walked into the kitchen. His eyes never left her as she looked at the food on the table and sat across from him. He thought that she looked so fragile and innocent in her pajamas. It took all of his inner strength not to go to Hermione and pull her into his arms.

Hermione felt a little better after a hot shower. As she pulled on the faded grayish/pink plaid pajama bottoms and one of her father's old T-shirts, she felt a small sense of comfort. Pulling her hair up into a messy bun, she looked into the mirror in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, Hermione knew it was time to face Draco. She didn't want to admit it, but she was glad to see that he was still there and hadn't left in a huff after they'd exchanged words. Hermione truly wanted to believe him she thought as she walked over to the kitchen where Draco was waiting.

As she took a seat across from him, Hermione was impressed with what he had put together for dinner. She suppressed a small smile when it hit her that she didn't have much to eat in her kitchen except for a few apples and bottles of American beer. She normally took meals with the other instructors in the Great Hall, so she really didn't keep much food in her quarters. As the aroma of the beef and vegetable soup wafted over to her nostrils, she knew Draco had summoned one of his house elves for this.

Taking a sip of the soup, Hermione closed her eyes and savored the flavor. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to eat anything this evening, but after tasting the soup she realized how hungry she was and ended up eating the whole bowl and a slice of bread. She picked at her salad and ended up pushing it aside. The soup and bread had filled her up.

Draco also consumed his soup, along with his salad, and bread. He was glad to see Hermione eating and hoped that this was a good sign. _Merlin, please let us resolve this tonight, I don't want to lose her, _he thought. When they were done, he did a bit of wandless magic. Within a few seconds the table was cleared and the dishes were clean. That done, Draco turned to Hermione.

"Well, you said that you wanted to interrogate me. I'm ready. Ask me anything, anything you want," Draco said as he looked into Hermione's eyes.

It started when Draco came clean and admitted to Hermione that he'd been attracted to her since he had seen her on the cover of The Daily Prophet.

Hermione groaned and closed her eyes, and then opened them again. "Are you really talking about that picture of me when I was working at Daisy Springs? Oh Merlin, that portrait was awful!"

Draco slowly shook his head. "You looked so beautiful in that picture. I couldn't believe it was you."

"Gee thanks Draco. I guess I was really unfortunate looking while we were in school," Hermione scoffed.

Draco sighed. "That's not what I meant. I always thought you were pretty, but that picture just captured something spectacular. You looked so relaxed and happy."

"You always thought I was pretty? You had a bizarre way of letting me know that. You were such an arsehole Draco," Hermione stated in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"I know and a little part of that persona came out last Friday when I was with my friends. I don't know why I said it─ I wanted to take it back so badly, but the damage was done. It was so stupid. I'll do anything to make it up to you. Tell me and I'll do it. I'm just going to lay it all out Hermione. I know I wasn't the best person at Hogwarts and until I started seeing you a few months ago, I was a real git to women. I didn't think having feelings like the ones I have for you could be possible."

Hermione was so touched by how Draco was revealing so much of himself to her and she wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms, but she held back. "I have feelings for you too Draco, but I can't help asking if this is real or just you playing mind tricks. Making a bet to get someone to fall in love with you is pretty vile."

Draco and Hermione talked for about two more hours; he begged for her forgiveness and Hermione found herself slowly relenting. There was no way around it, she was stuck. Draco Malfoy had her heart. Be that as it may, Hermione wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. Exhausted from their discussion, she went to bed. Draco tried to follow her but she slowly shook her head, handing him a pillow and blanket, directing him towards the couch in her living room.

"You're welcome to stay, but you'll have to sleep on the couch," Hermione said warily. She had decided that they could work it out, but she resolved she wasn't going to sleep with him. She waited to see his reaction.

"I understand," Draco said quietly as he took the pillow and blanket from her. "I'll be here if you need me."

Hermione could only nod as she closed the door to her bedroom. Once she was inside, a slow smile spread over her face. He really was trying to make it up to her. She had been certain that Draco would've have left rather than sleep on the uncomfortable couch, but the fact that he was actually going to stay spoke volumes. She climbed into her bed and within minutes was asleep.

Draco let out a breath as he took in his "bed" for the night. He stripped down to his boxers and arranged the pillow on the couch. He sat and then tried to find a comfortable sleeping position. This couch was not made for his tall frame, he thought as he looked at his legs hanging over the sides. An extension charm on the couch fixed that and it was a little more bearable, but Draco longed to be with Hermione. It was killing him to know that she was only a few feet away. He sighed and pulled the blanket over him. It took some time, but he finally fell asleep, thinking about Hermione and hoping that she had forgiven him. Despite the couch being uncomfortable, he managed to fall asleep.

Hermione woke up early the next morning. She sat up in the bed and swung her legs over the side. The events of the night before flooded her mind and she remembered Draco had spent the night. She stood up and tiptoed to her door and opened it quietly. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw Draco sprawled on her couch. Hermione was a little shocked that he'd actually stayed for the night, but she was glad. She turned from the door and went into her bathroom. She came out after a few minutes, feeling refreshed after washing her face and brushing her teeth. She decided to go to Draco.

Unbeknownst to Hermione, Draco had woke up about an hour before she did because he was anxious to see and talk to Hermione again. As he walked quietly to the bathroom, he peeked into her bedroom. Draco leaned against the doorframe and watched Hermione sleep for a few moments. At that moment it hit him how much he had fallen for her. What the hell was he going to do if she totally banished him from her life? With that in mind, Draco moved away and went to the bathroom. When he was done, he went back to his "bed" on the couch and waited for her. In that time he thought about what he was going to say to her when she woke up. He wondered if he should take a chance and tell Hermione he loved her. As he thought about this, he heard Hermione stirring and then listened to the sounds of water running. She was awake. Draco pretended to be asleep.

She hesitated for a few moments, took a deep breath, and then went to the living room where Draco was asleep. Hermione walked over near the sofa and took a seat on chair near the couch. She leaned over and brushed away a lock of his soft blond hair that had fallen against his cheek.

Draco stifled the urge not to grasp her hand and pull her to him. Instead he stirred slightly and let his eyes flutter open, to make it look like she had interrupted his slumber. He loved the feel of her soft hand on his face and took this as a good sign. When his eyes found hers and he stared into them, Draco knew that she'd forgiven him.

"Good morning," Draco said softly. He could feel his heart beating a little faster as he saw a smile forming on her face.

"Good morning. I hope this couch wasn't too uncomfortable," Hermione said with a soft smile on her face.

"I would've slept on a bed of jagged stones if it meant being near you," Draco replied, as he continued to look into her eyes. He meant every word.

"Draco, I so want to believe you when you say that you're sorry. Please don't make me regret letting you into my life," she said as she looked at him and a few tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

This broke Draco's heart. He sat up and stood from the couch. He went to her, kneeling at her feet, and pulled her to him. "Please don't cry Hermione. I meant every word, I've never felt like this before. You won't regret this I promise. I'll do anything you want," he said softly as he gently wiped the tears away.

Hermione closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of his touch. When she opened them, Draco was looking at her with such an intense look of longing, it made her heart feel as it was melting. Slowly, their lips came together into a gentle kiss. It didn't take long for it to intensify as Draco pulled her to him and she was sitting in his lap. When they came up for air, Hermione smiled and rested her forehead against his.

"You're forgiven Draco, but like I said, don't make me regret this," she said softly.

"You won't Hermione. Why don't we get dressed and I'll take you to breakfast," Draco replied. He wanted nothing more than to take Hermione to bed and ravish her for the whole day, but he did not want to make her feel like he only wanted sex. It hit him that he wanted so much more from Hermione. This was it, this was as the muggles said, "the real deal." No other woman made him feel this way.

"That sounds wonderful. I'll get dressed and we'll go," Hermione replied as she stood up. As she was about to go to her bedroom, she turned and looked at Draco. "I'm really glad that you decided to stay."

Draco smiled. "I am too." He watched her walk into her bedroom. Draco gathered his clothes and headed to the bathroom. Once he was dressed, he stepped out and was glad to see Hermione waiting for him in the living room. He took her hand and they left for Hogsmeade to have breakfast.

As they talked quietly over breakfast, Draco and Hermione made plans for the evening. When they were done, Draco went back to his apartment in London and Hermione headed back to Hogwarts. When she arrived, she settled into her daily routine and smiled the whole time. She was in such a good mood. As she was checking on the ponies, she heard someone walk up behind her. When she turned, it was Ginny.

"Hey Gin. How are you?" Hermione asked happily.

"I'm fine thanks. You seem to be in a good mood. I just dropped by to check in with you. How did it go with Draco last night?" Ginny asked hesitantly. She wondered what happened considering how happy Hermione seemed.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Well I confronted him and he told me everything. Draco said he forfeited the bet with Pansy once he realized he had feelings for me. As for his friends, he said that it was really stupid of him to tell them about the bet. He apologized for everything Gin. We're going out tonight."

Ginny took a step back and gave her friend a look of disbelief. "And you believed him? Come on Hermione, you're smarter than that! Malfoy's using you!

"No he's not Ginny! We have feelings for each other. I've never felt like this about anyone before and as much as it bothers me to say this, Ron never made me feel the way Draco does. This is real Gin, as a matter of fact, I…I think I'm in love with him," Hermione replied and realized that it felt so good to actually say it out loud, that she was in love with Draco.

Ginny gave a snort of disgust. "Well isn't that special. You know what Hermione, don't come crying to me when Malfoy breaks your heart into a million pieces."

"Gin, you don't mean that. You're my closest friend. Can't you just be happy for me? If only you knew how wonderfully Draco treats me. I feel like the only woman in the world when I'm with him," Hermione answered.

"I'm sorry I said that Hermione, but damn it to hell. When I think of the way he was talking about you to his friends…Malfoy made it sound like you were just some bint he had picked up the night before. You're my closest friend too, in fact you're the sister I never had. I love you and I'm only looking out for your best interests. That's what friends are for. For what it's worth, I'm there for you if you need anything," Ginny said sadly and pulled Hermione into a hug.

"Thank you Ginny, you don't know how much your friendship and support means to me. Just trust me on this, I'll be fine. Don't worry so much about me, you have a wedding coming up in a few months!" Hermione replied as she hugged her friend back.

"Between my mom, Fleur, and Luna planning it, all I have to do is show up on the big day," Ginny giggled.

Ginny stayed for about another hour, walking with Hermione as she went about her chores at the stable. When she left, she reminded Hermione about picking up her bridesmaid dress and that she would have to join her and Harry for dinner soon. Hermione nodded and waved.

Before Ginny left, she turned back and watched Hermione for a few moments. She hoped that her friend knew what she was doing. She didn't want Hermione to be another notch on Draco Malfoy's bedpost. She wondered what the hell kind of game Malfoy was playing.

Draco was ecstatic when he returned to his apartment. He was going to make sure that this night with Hermione was going to be perfect. He silently thanked Merlin that she was willing to hear his side of what happened and was giving him another chance. Draco knew he couldn't blow this; it scared him when he realized how close he came to losing Hermione forever. All because of his stupid pride and not wanting to look like he was pussywhipped in front of Blaise and Theo.

As he looked in his refrigerator for an apple, Draco heard his floo being activated. With a puzzled look on his face, he closed the refrigerator, and walked towards his living room. When he saw who was there, he smiled. It was his mother checking up on him. Narcissa smiled back and went to him to give him a hug and smooth back a few strands of hair that had fallen over his eyes.

"Draco, I feel like it's been ages since I last saw you. I was running a few errands in Diagon Alley and decided to drop by. I hope I'm not disturbing you," she said.

Draco shook his head and returned the hug. "I had lunch with you and father at the Manor last weekend, it's hardly been ages," he joked.

Narcissa sat down on his couch and patted the cushion next to her. When Draco sat, she began to speak. "I know darling, but I miss you now that you're a grown man and on your own. Draco, I heard something while I was shopping. At first I dismissed it as idle gossip, but when I started to think about it, it made sense. Have you been seeing Hermione Granger?" she asked.

"Yes. Hermione and I have been seeing each other for the past few months. What is the gossip you heard?" Draco asked as he grimaced and tried not to cringe because he knew what type of rumors were floating around about him. He usually paid no attention to this and didn't care, but it was different now that he was with Hermione.

"No need to have that look on your face Draco. I was in Pansy and Roald's shop to pick up a potion and I overheard Pansy telling a young witch that you were dating Hermione Granger and she was glad because it seems like you were settling down. I wanted to ask Pansy more but I didn't want her to think I was eavesdropping on her conversation. Draco, are things serious between you and this young lady?" Narcissa asked.

"Mother, I believe they are. I've never met anyone like Hermione. Everything makes sense when I'm with her," Draco replied with a contented look.

Narcissa raised her eyebrows. This was a new experience for her. Draco had never spoken about a witch in this manner. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but was it possible that Pansy was right? Draco was finally settling down? "Does Ms. Granger feel the same way?" she asked cautiously. Narcissa knew not to pry too much; Draco was usually tightlipped about his relationships if they could be called that. He never stayed with a witch very long.

Draco sighed. "I certainly hope so. I almost messed things up between us because of worrying about what other people think."

"Oh Draco, what happened?" Narcissa asked with a look of concern.

"Mother I'm about to tell you something and it's going to sound bad, but just hear me out. When Hermione first came back to our world, Pansy and I made a bet that I wouldn't be able to get Hermione to fall for me. That is why I started to see her," Draco started to say.

"Draco Malfoy! That is awful, how could you do something like that?" Narcissa asked and was not pleased at the behavior of her son. She couldn't believe he and Pansy would do something so reckless and stupid, especially since they were trying to improve their status within the wizarding world.

"I know it is and believe me, I'm sorry about it. But call it fate or divine intervention, the tables were turned on me. I fell for Hermione and─ and, I'm just going to say it….I'm in love with her," he replied.

"I don't understand. How did you almost mess things up?" she asked with a look of confusion.

"Last Saturday night I was out with Blaise and Theo at The Leaky Cauldron," Draco began when Narcissa interrupted him.

"Merlin Draco, I wish you would stop hanging out with those two. They're so immature," she said with a tinge of disgust in her tone.

"Mother, they've been my friends for a long time. Anyway, they started to ask me about Hermione and I told them about the bet. I said some pretty stupid things so they wouldn't think that I had fallen for Hermione. I didn't know that a friend of Hermione's was there and overheard everything. This friend told Hermione," he said.

"Draco, can you imagine how Ms. Granger felt? I don't think I want to know what those two idiots were saying. So what happened when she confronted you?" she asked.

"Hermione wanted to break it off with me, but I wouldn't let her. Mother, I can't even begin to tell you how relieved I was when she forgave me. I can't imagine life without her. Have you ever felt something so powerful?" Draco asked.

Narcissa nodded. "That's how I feel about your father. It's called love Draco. This is wonderful, I'm so happy for you. Hermione Granger is a lovely young woman."

"Thanks mother. How do you think father is going to feel about this?" he asked.

"Leave your father to me. I have an idea. Why don't you bring Hermione for tea tomorrow afternoon?" Narcissa asked.

"I'll ask her tonight and let you know. I don't want to seem like I'm rushing things, something is telling me that I need to take this relationship slowly with Hermione," he replied.

"I understand. This is a big step for you Draco. It just hit me that she's the first witch you're willingly bringing to the Manor for your father and me to meet. I mean there were those girls you snuck in your bedroom when you were still living with us, but that doesn't count," Narcissa mused.

Draco was shocked. "You and father knew that I had girls spending the night? I always made sure I did a silencing spell. How?"

Narcissa gave a soft laugh. "Just call it parents' intuition. Your father and I were always light sleepers, so when you would return home, we always heard and made note that there were usually two sets of footsteps and giggling before you cast the silencing spell."

Draco shook his head and gave her a sheepish smile. "All this time you and father knew. I thought I was being so sneaky."

"I wanted to tell you, but Lucius always stopped me. He said something about you needing to "sow your oats" and maybe one day you would find the right witch. Is Hermione the right witch?" she asked.

"I certainly hope so Mother," he replied and Draco looked so relaxed and content. Narcissa couldn't help it as a few tears fell. She never thought she'd see the day that Draco was ready to settle down. Draco saw this. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just so happy for you dear. I was worried that you were going to be an eternal bachelor and I'd never have grandchildren," Narcissa replied as she wiped away the tears.

Draco hugged his mother and smiled. It felt so good to tell his mother about Hermione and he was ecstatic at her reaction. There were no more prejudices about muggleborns. Hermione was everything he wanted in a woman and as far as he was concerned, no pureblood witch came close to what she meant to him.

He and his mother spoke for a few more minutes and then she returned to the Manor after Draco reassured her that he would let her know about meeting for tea the following day. When she was gone, he decided to take a nap since he had only slept for a few hours on Hermione's uncomfortable couch the night before. When Draco entered his bedroom, he collapsed on his bed and sleep came instantaneously.

When he woke up a few hours later, Draco felt refreshed as he stretched and stood up from his bed. He was glad to see that it was almost 5 p.m. He would soon be meeting Hermione. As he walked into the bathroom to shower and shave, he wondered how the evening was going to go. He decided that a good dinner and dancing were in order. Draco closed his eyes as the warm water washed over him. He couldn't wait to have Hermione in his arms again.

Hermione finished her chores early and retired to her quarters. She also indulged in a few hours of sleep and when she woke up, she felt well-rested. She smiled when she looked at her clock. In another hour she'd be meeting Draco. Undressing and stepping into the shower, she sighed happily. Hermione thought about the night before and was glad that she and Draco were able to sort everything out. Tonight was going to be different; she felt that she and Draco were embarking on a new chapter in their lives.

It was going to be a cold and blustery evening and it looked like snow was a possibility in London. Draco took this into consideration as he dressed. He decided on a white button down shirt and put on a heavy dark green almost black sweater over it. Pairing this with a pair of dark jeans, thick socks, and black loafers, Draco figured he would be warm. The dark green sweater contrasted nicely with his pale hair.

Hermione knew that it was going to be a typical winter evening in London, so she dressed accordingly. She still wanted to dress up, but also keep warm, so she chose a bright pink sweater that hugged her curves and black leggings. She also pulled on thick socks and chose knee-length black boots to complement her ensemble. Deciding to leave her hair down, Hermione took one last look in the full-length mirror in her bedroom. After making sure she had everything, Hermione gave a contented sigh and left her quarters. It wouldn't be long until she was with Draco again.

Draco's heart leapt when he heard the floo in his living room being activated. He had a bright smile when Hermione walked out and brushed off a few snowflakes from her hair and clothes.

Smiling back at him, Hermione laughed and said, "The first snow of the season is here."

"And it won't be the last. Come here," Draco said softly as he and Hermione walked towards each other. When she got closer, Draco pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Hermione responded and kissed him back. This felt so right. When they came up for air, Draco stood back and gave her an appraising look. "You look ravishing as always love. Shall we head out before I change my mind and carry you to my bedroom?"

Hermione chuckled and took his hand. "Lead the way Mr. Malfoy." Draco led her to the floo and called out Diagon Alley. When they arrived, he led Hermione to The Leaky Cauldron. She made a face when she saw that Draco was taking her there.

"I know this is probably the last place you wanted to go, but Hermione I want to make a statement to the wizarding world. I want everyone to know that we're together. Are you with me?" Draco asked as he looked into her eyes.

Hermione took a deep breath and thought about this for a few moments. "So you really are serious about us Draco? Are you ready for your friends to know we're together?"

Draco nodded and squeezed her hand. "I could ask you the same thing love. Are you ready for your friends to know about us? I've never more serious about anything in my life Hermione. I'm ready."

She turned to him and gave him a tentative smile. "I'm ready too Draco."

Draco smiled back and they walked into The Leaky Cauldron. When they first entered the establishment, it was noisy and filled with witches and wizards. There was quite a crowd gathered because a popular wizard band, The Warped TimeForce" was set to perform that evening. As they made their way through the crowd, Hermione saw quite a few familiar faces from Hogwarts. They smiled when they saw her, but then looks of confusion came over their faces when they saw her hand entwined with Draco's. Hermione only smiled and nodded as they walked towards the back of the pub to find a place to sit. Draco was facing the same reaction from his Slytherin classmates as he walked with Hermione. He finally located an empty table with two chairs. When they were seated, a waitress came by and took their order of Butterbeers with fish and chips.

Pulling Hermione close to him, Draco spoke into her ear so that she could hear him above the din of the crowd. "Well we survived the first phase. I see everyone staring, waiting for one to approach. This didn't take long, here come Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil. Lucky us," he said sarcastically and smirked as Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Lavender and Pavarti were extremely nosy and notorious gossips.

"Oh wow, fancy meeting you here tonight. Gosh Hermione, it's been ages since I've seen you. Draco, haven't been seeing you too much in the clubs lately," Lavender greeted them, fishing for information. She had heard the rumors about Draco and Hermione but never believed them. Now that she was actually seeing them together, it was killing her to know if they were actually a couple.

"Hermione, I heard that you're now part of the staff at Hogwarts. It's great running into you again, you too Draco," Pavarti said as she looked from Hermione to Draco and then back at Lavender. It was obvious to her that Draco and Hermione were together. Pavarti was freaked out because those two were the last people on earth she ever thought would wind up together. She couldn't wait to tell the rest of their friends about this.

"Nice to see you too," Hermione replied addressing both young women and Draco nodded. He couldn't wait for them to get the hell away from their table. There was a bit more small talk until Lavender spotted the wizards she and Pavarti were meeting that evening. They said goodbye, spouting the usual bullshit about getting together for lunch, etc. Hermione watched them walk away, fought the urge to roll her eyes, and then turned to Draco.

"I didn't think they'd ever leave! What story do you think they're going to concoct about us?" she asked and laughed.

"Probably that I have you under an Imperious Curse or something to that effect," Draco answered as he rubbed her leg underneath the table.

"Mm you have me under some effect, not quite sure what it is," Hermione murmured in his ear.

"I'll show you what effect I'm talking about later tonight," Draco growled.

At that moment, the waitress brought their food to the table. As they ate, they talked over the noise of the other patrons. The band began to play and Hermione was glad that Draco brought her to The Leaky Cauldron. She was actually having a good time. When they finished their meal, the band began to play a slow song and Draco held his hand out to her. Hermione took it and he led her to the dance floor. They had danced before but it was always when they were alone. This was the first time they were going to dance together in a public place.

Draco pulled Hermione close to him as they walked onto the crowded dance floor. There were many eyes upon them, but Draco only had eyes for Hermione. He wanted everyone to know that Hermione was his. His arms were wrapped around her waist and she had hers loosely entwined around his neck. They moved slowly and as the song continued to play, Draco bent his head and kissed Hermione.

At the bar, Lavender and Pavarti watched this with open-mouth amazement. This confirmed that the rumors were true. Blaise and Theo had come in during the dance and were just as shocked as they were. They watched the couple until the song ended and Draco led Hermione back to their table. The two young men made a beeline for the table.

As Draco pulled out Hermione's chair, his face turned into a slight grimace when he saw Blaise and Theo. Hermione sat and watched Draco as he gave his friends a look of apprehension. _Please don't let them say something stupid-I will hex them to bits,_ he thought as he took in the goofy grins they had on their faces. Draco put his arm around Hermione's chair.

"Wasn't expecting to see you out tonight! So you and Granger huh? Having a good time so far?" Blaise asked with a smirk. Theo didn't say anything and looked like he was trying not to laugh.

_They really are insufferable gits_, Draco thought. He was about to reply when Hermione stood up and smiled at his friends.

"Blaise and Theo, it's been some time since I've seen you. How have you been doing?" she asked as she looked from one to the other. She held out her hand.

Draco sat back and grinned. Hermione never ceased to amaze him; she was such a class act, being this cordial to these jerks after knowing about what they thought of her relationship with Draco.

This totally threw off Blaise and Theo. Blaise stammered out a response. "I've been doing well, thanks. It's nice to see you. I'll let you and Draco enjoy your evening," he said as he quickly shook her hand.

Theo gave a small smile. "Been just dandy, thanks. Uh yeah, like Blaise said, we'll let you enjoy your evening." He also quickly shook Hermione's hand and nodded to Draco before they went off to the bar.

Draco watched them walk away and turned to Hermione as she sat down. "I do believe you've tongue-tied those two dunderheads. Thank you for not telling them off after what I told you. You are quite a lady Hermione."

"Why thank you Mr. Malfoy. What do you say we get out of here? I think we've made enough of an impression for the night. The tongues are wagging," Hermione replied as she motioned with her head towards the bar. Sure enough there was Blaise and Theo looking at them and whispering, along with Lavender and Pavarti sneaking looks towards their table every so often.

"I couldn't agree more Ms. Granger. After you," Draco said as he stood and waited for Hermione. Draco left money on the table to settle their bill and a generous tip for the waitress. He followed Hermione out as they made their way through the crowd. When they were outside of The Leaky Cauldron, she turned to him and smiled as she hugged him.

"That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I'm glad we came here. Oh Draco look, the snow if really coming down now," she said happily as she looked up towards the sky.

"I'm glad too love," Draco replied as he smiled down at her. Merlin, he loved this witch. He pulled her to him and kissed her again. When they came up for air, Draco took a deep breath. "I love you Hermione."

Hermione's breath caught when she heard this. As he looked at her, waiting for her response to this declaration, she looked into his eyes. "I love you Draco."

Draco grabbed her hand in his and they went to the nearest floo network. Within seconds, they were back at his apartment. Hermione was shaking the snowflakes out of her hair when Draco began to hungrily assault her lips. She responded and they began to undress each other. When their clothes were shed, Draco picked her up and brought her to his bedroom. They fell onto his bed and continued to kiss fervently, as if they couldn't get enough of each other. Draco was on top of her, but then he rolled them over so that she was on top. He wanted Hermione's breasts to hang in his face. She squealed as he abruptly sat up and buried his face in her bosom, gasping as he lightly suckled her erect nipples. Wanting him inside of her, Hermione slowly lowered herself onto him. They moved slowly as she buried his face in his neck and his hands moved down to grasp her hips. After a few minutes of this, Draco turned them over and began to pump furiously as Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed up against him, meeting him with every thrust. She started to feel the now familiar warmth spreading through her lower half and it wasn't long before she reached her peak. Not long after feeling her inner walls tighten around him, Draco couldn't hold back and groaned out her name as he came. Before slipping out of her, he kissed her. As they came down from this intense sexual experience, Draco pulled Hermione to him so that her head was resting on his chance.

"That was incredible babe," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

Hermione smiled and picked her head up to face him. "It always is with you. I love you Draco."

Draco found he was getting aroused again as he heard those words. "I love you too Hermione, more than you'll ever know. Come here."

This time as they made love, it was done in a languid manner. They kissed and caressed every part of each other's bodies, as they continued to declare their love. Draco and Hermione had reached a new level and were now committed to each other.

Later as she lay in his arms and was drifting off to sleep, Hermione thought about everything that had transpired in the last day or so. She was now sure that she had made the right decision to trust Draco and let him stay in her life. She thought about Ginny's warning about Draco, but Hermione brushed this thought aside. Draco loved her and that was all she needed to know.

**Again, I apologize for the delay. Still debating where I'm taking this one. I want Dramione to be happy, but I also love drama!**

**I am finally done with the spring semester and I'm only taking one class this summer. I plan on finishing Run and I have another story idea brewing in my head. Thank you for reading this story and I hope you enjoy the update! As always, I appreciate all of the alerts and reviews. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Run**

**Chapter Nine**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of Ms. J.K. Rowling. Just my take on what could have been!**

In all of the excitement of the previous evening, Draco had forgotten to ask Hermione to tea with his parents. He had awakened before her and watched her sleep, thinking about how much he loved her and was so relieved that she loved him too. Draco hoped Hermione wouldn't think he was trying to move too quickly. To him it was only tea with Lucius and Narcissa, but he knew that it was a whole other matter for Hermione. She had visited Malfoy Manor once before but this was during the war and to say that it wasn't a pleasant experience for Hermione was a huge understatement. He shuddered when he thought about Bellatrix carving out "mudblood" on Hermione's arm with a knife. Draco felt terrible for what his Aunt Bellatrix had done to Hermione, but if he had tried to stop his aunt, she would've killed them both. His parents were so afraid of what Voldemort would do that they didn't try to stop Bellatrix either.

Draco had noticed before that the scar was gone from Hermione's arm. He figured when Molly Weasley had killed Bellatrix, the scar disappeared. Not long after he and Hermione had started seeing each other, Draco had asked her about that night. They spoke about it and she revealed to him that she had put that awful time behind her and didn't want to bring it up again. Draco apologized to her over and over until Hermione reassured him that she knew he had no control over what had taken place at Malfoy Manor. She told him the war had been horrendous for everyone but Voldemort was gone and it was time to heal. As Draco thought back to this conversation, he wonders if he really started falling for her on that night. He looked over at Hermione who was still sleeping and still found it a little hard to believe she was at his side. Now that he was given a second chance after almost losing her, Draco knew one thing: he was never going to let her go.

Hermione stirred and slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Draco was awake and watching her, she smiled. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long love. I like watching you sleep. It's nice having you in my bed; I wish every morning was like this," Draco replied as he pulled her into his arms.

Snuggling into his chest, Hermione said, "I love waking up like this. What time is it?"

"It's a little after 8:30 a.m. Do you have to be somewhere?" he asked as he kissed her forehead.

"I don't have to be back at Hogwarts until the late afternoon so we can snuggle," Hermione said as she reached up and kissed him softly.

Draco returned the kiss and then took a deep breath. He slowly let it out and then asked, "My mum asked if you would want to join us for tea today." He said it quickly and braced himself for Hermione's response.

Hermione lifted her head from his chest and sat up as she gave him an incredulous look. "Your mum invited me to tea at Malfoy Manor? I sure wasn't expecting that bombshell, Draco," she said as she thought this over. "I take it your mother knows about us and if she does, I can safely assume that your father does too."

Draco nodded slowly. "Look, I know nothing can make up for what happened to you the last time you were at the Manor, but maybe we can think of this as a new beginning; a fresh start. I want to put this all behind us and so do my parents."

Deep in thought and not saying anything for a few moments, Hermione plucked at the bed sheet. Finally she sighed and looked at Draco. "You're right Draco. This is a big step, but if we're serious about being together I'll have to get to know your parents. Likewise, you'll have to meet mine too. Are you ready for that?"

Relief flooded through Draco as he smiled at the love of his life. "Of course I am love. Just let me know when you want me to meet your parents. It's amazing that we're at this point isn't it? I love you so much."

Hermione smiled back. "I love you too Draco and I'm astounded we're at this point too. There is one problem though."

"What?" Draco asked and was beginning to feel a bit apprehensive.

"I have nothing to wear for tea with your parents," Hermione replied and giggled.

"I'm sure we can find something for you to wear for tea. Hmm, It's a bit difficult to concentrate when you're looking so delectable. Come here," Draco growled as he pulled her to him and planted a searing kiss on her lips, and then started a blazing trail of kisses down her neck and to her breasts.

Hermione closed her eyes and ran her hands through his soft hair as she fell back onto the bed. This led to a quick lovemaking session. When they were done, the couple took a quick shower and Draco took Hermione shopping. She was able to find a nice set of dress robes at Madam Malkin's. As she was getting ready to pay, Draco insisted on taking care of the bill. When Hermione protested, Draco took her hands in his and said, "You are my lady and I want to do this for you. Let me spoil you Hermione."

Knowing that it was useless to argue with him, Hermione let Draco pay. She had always been an independent young woman; however, she would never admit she was turned on when Draco took over and paid for her robes. She loved when Draco called her his lady and the witch ringing up the purchase gave her an envious look.

Tea at Malfoy Manor went very well and Narcissa went out of her way to make Hermione feel welcome. Lucius was a bit aloof at first, but eventually the bright young witch chipped away at his icy demeanor. After an enlightening conversation with her on healing potions for horses, he could see why Draco was so taken with Hermione. Draco couldn't keep his eyes off of her and this did not go unnoticed by his parents. Lucius was a bit apprehensive about the fact of Hermione being a muggleborn witch, but after spending the afternoon in her company, he realized she was a perfect match for Draco, as much or more than any pureblood witch.

After telling Draco and Hermione goodbye and inviting Hermione to come back, Narcissa and Lucius walked back into the manner. Narcissa wiped away a few tears and Lucius gave her a concerned look.

"What is it love? Did something upset you? I thought this went very well."

Narcissa gave him a smile. "Oh Lucius, I'm just a silly mother. These are tears of happiness. I never thought Draco would meet someone who is his match in every way. Maybe I'll finally get my grandchildren!"

Lucius shook his head and took his wife into his arms. "My sweet, sweet Cissy. I'm glad Draco appears to be settling down. As for grandchildren, let's give them a little time, I mean they aren't even engaged yet!"

Narcissa wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest. "From what I observed it probably won't be long until Ms. Hermione Granger has a ring on her finger."

Kissing the top of his wife's head, Lucius held her and silently agreed.

Draco and Hermione had taken a floo to Hogsmeade and then a carriage to Hogwarts. When they arrived, Draco walked with Hermione to the stables. They held onto each other for a long time. He hated this part of the weekend. If only Hermione could be with him in London, but her job was at Hogwarts. After many failed attempts to kiss each other goodbye, they finally parted.

Once Hermione was inside her living quarters, she plopped down onto her couch. She was already missing Draco, but she also had a warm feeling as she thought about the events that had taken place over the weekend. After such a traumatic start, everything was falling into place. Hermione was head over heels in love with Draco Malfoy.

Although he missed Hermione, Draco couldn't stop smiling. What had started out as the worst weekend of his life turned out to be the best. He was so pleased at how well having tea with his parents had gone. As far as he could tell they really liked Hermione. Before they parted ways, Hermione had mentioned to Draco that perhaps they could have tea with her parents the following weekend. Although this made him nervous as hell, Draco was ready to meet them. He could only hope that tea with her parents went as well as it did with his. This was it; he and Hermione were officially a couple.

When the following Friday arrived and Draco met Hermione, she let him know that instead of tea, they were meeting her parents on Saturday morning for brunch at a café near their home in muggle London. When Draco heard this, one part of him was glad that Hermione wanted him to meet her parents, but another part of him was apprehensive because this was such a huge step for him. He put those thoughts aside and decided to enjoy this evening with Hermione.

Disapparating from Hogsmeade, the couple made their way to Draco's apartment. They had a dinner of Chinese takeout and then took the floo network to Diagon Alley. Ginny had told Hermione about a new wizard dance club that had recently opened, so when Hermione told Draco about it, they agreed it would be a nice change to go dancing and socialize. Before they had left for the club, Draco wasn't pleased with what Hermione was wearing. He had on a black dress shirt and pants, which he considered to be the proper attire for that evening. Hermione, however, was wearing, despite the cold weather, a backless gold lamè halter-style blouse and a black miniskirt paired with tights and black leather ankle boots. She had put her hair up in a loose chignon. As he helped her put her coat on, he wanted to say something about the outfit, but he held his tongue. It was just that she looked so gorgeous and sexy in that outfit that Draco wanted to be the only one to see her in it. He knew he was being unreasonable and when he saw how excited Hermione was to go dancing, he was glad he didn't open his big mouth. When they arrived at the club, Zephyr, at about 10:15 p.m., there was a nice-sized crowd. Hermione let Draco lead her to the dance floor and once there, they found a place on the jam-packed dance floor. She was pleasantly surprised to hear a muggle song playing, "I Love It" by Icona Pop, but she soon figured out why. She looked towards the DJ Booth and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, a fellow muggleborn wizard and former Hogwarts classmate working it. Hermione waved to him and when he noticed her on the dance floor, he gave her a toothy smile and waved back.

Draco turned to see who Hermione was waving to and scowled when he saw it was Finch-Fletchley. _He better not be getting any ideas about moving in on my witch,_ Draco thought. His scowl disappeared as he watched Hermione dance to the weird muggle song that was playing. Draco moved behind her and placed his hands on her hips and moved with her. He kissed the exposed skin of her back and nibbled her ear. He groaned when Hermione's arms came up and she ran her hands through his hair. Draco pulled her towards his growing erection and pushed against her. Hermione turned to face him and kissed him softly. He kissed her back and smiled when a slow song came on and he held her close. He figured they would dance for a few more songs and then he was bringing her back to his place. Draco was so turned on and couldn't wait to get Hermione in his bed.

Justin watched the couple dancing from his DJ booth and slowly shook his head. He had heard a few rumors about Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger being a couple, but wasn't quite sure he believe it. _Guess the rumors were true_, he thought as he grinned and put on another record.

After a few more songs, Draco and Hermione made their way to the bar. They ordered drinks and as they waited, Draco needed to go to the men's room. He had to shout over the music as he let Hermione know he would be right back. She nodded and shouted that she would wait for him by the bar.

When their drinks arrived, Hermione took hers and leaned back against the bar. As she was thinking about how much fun she had dancing with Draco, she felt someone lightly tug a curl that had come loose from her chignon. Thinking it was Draco, she turned with a smirk on her face, but the smirk soon changed into an expression of surprise.

"Gin! I didn't know you were going to be here tonight! I thought you were in Vienna for a tournament," Hermione said happily over the music as she enveloped her friend in a hug. She looked over Ginny's shoulder and saw Harry, followed closely by Ron and Lydia.

"It was canceled because of the weather, so here we are," Ginny laughed as she shouted back to Hermione.

Hermione hugged the rest of her friends and they chatted over the music. As they talked, Draco had returned and stood next to Hermione, putting his arm around her waist. Everyone in their group except Ginny ceased talking and stared in disbelief. Draco looked at them with raised eyebrows and said into Hermione's ear, "I take it Ginny hasn't let them know that we're a couple?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Ron leaned towards Harry and said, "What the hell is Hermione doing with Malfoy?" He then turned to Ginny. "Did you know about this? Has Hermione gone mental?"

"Yeah Gin, has Hermione been seeing Malfoy? I just knew there had to be something going on when we saw them together at Hogwarts!" Harry said.

"Hermione and Draco have been seeing each other for the past few months. Yes, I've been knowing about it, but out of respect to Hermione, I didn't say anything. Merlin guys, she's a grown woman. Don't meddle in her business. Hermione doesn't dictate to you who you can or cannot date!" Ginny said sharply but felt a little guilty knowing that she had doubts about Hermione's relationship with Draco too.

"Calm down Gin. It's just a shock to see these two together. You know what? If Hermione is happy, I'm happy. You're right, Hermione can make her own decisions. I guess Ron and I are little overprotective of her. She's like a sister to me," Harry replied.

"Yeah but, Malfoy? Well, I've always trusted and respected Hermione. Maybe she sees something we don't in Malfoy, but for the life of me I can't figure out what," Ron said and shrugged. Lydia poked him hard in the ribs and he looked at her with a hurt expression. "What was that for?"

"I agree with Ginny. Hermione is capable of making her own decisions. You and Harry need to let her know that you're okay with Draco. I know it would mean the world to her," Lydia said.

"You're right. I'll go over to them in a few moments as soon as I recover from your assault. I think you broke a rib," Ron whined as he rubbed his side.

Lydia rolled her eyes at him and they walked over to Draco and Hermione. Ginny and Harry were already speaking to them and Harry was shaking Draco's hand. Ron also shook Draco's hand and even introduced Lydia to him. They were slowly getting over the shock of seeing Draco Malfoy with their best friend. Maybe the biggest git to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts had actually turned out to be a decent guy.

As they were talking over the music, Draco inwardly groaned when he spotted Blaise and Theo walk into the club with a bevy of witches. He thought that he was going to be blocked from their view by Potter and Weasley, but they had all gone to the dance floor. Blaise noticed Draco and waved at him, beckoning him to come over.

Draco sighed and spoke into Hermione's ear. "I'll be right back. I need to take care of something." He wanted to formally introduce Hermione to his friends, but Blaise and Theo looked pretty drunk, so he figured it would be best if Hermione didn't meet them that evening. It was safe to say that one or both of them would make lewd comments and embarrass him. Draco figured he would say hello and then return to Hermione. He made his way towards his friends.

Hermione watched as Draco went over to Blaise and Theo. She was a little offended that Draco hadn't brought her over to meet with his friends as she did with hers, but then it hit her that he was worried that they might say something stupid about the so-called bet. She leaned back against the bar and figured Draco wouldn't be long. After a few minutes, she looked towards where Draco had been and saw that he wasn't there. As she looked around the crowded club, she spotted Draco's platinum head on the dance floor. _What the hell?_ Hermione thought as she left the bar and walked towards the dance floor. When she got closer, she saw that he was dancing with two witches. Hermione stood there and couldn't believe it.

One moment Draco was talking to Blaise and Theo, telling them that he wanted to get back to Hermione, when he felt hands on each arm. Before he could protest, two of the witches in his friends' entourage had pulled him onto the dance floor. Draco was trying to get away from them when he spotted Hermione. Their eyes met and Hermione shook her head. She turned away and headed for the exit of the club. On her way there, she was stopped by a wizard. He was tall and well-built, with shoulder-length black hair and twinkling brown eyes. He looked familiar to Hermione and then she realized that his name was Richard Buckley. He had attended Hogwarts, had been in Gryffindor, and was 3 years older.

"Hey Beautiful. It's way too early for you to be leaving. How about a dance?" he asked, shouting over the loud music.

Under normal circumstances Hermione would have politely refused, but Draco had pissed her off. She turned to the wizard and shouted back, "I'd love to!" Richard gave her a huge smile as he took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor. Once there, they began to dance to a Weird Sisters song. Hermione looked around and didn't see Draco. _If he can dance with other people, so can I_ she thought as she started to move to the beat of the song.

Unbeknownst to Hermione, Draco was standing a few feet from the dance floor, fuming. Not only was he filled with anger, he was also jealous as hell. He couldn't believe she was doing this, dancing with some random git! He patiently waited for the song to finish and figured when Hermione would step off of the dance floor, he would get her attention and they would leave the club. Imagine his surprise when a slow song started to play and his witch started to dance with that goofball. This was too much for Draco to take, so he strode over to the dance floor. It was taking all of his self-control to stay calm, but he managed to keep his cool when he walked up to Hermione and Richard.

Draco tapped Richard on the shoulder as Hermione stared at him, shocked to see him there. When he had Richard's attention, he asked, "Mind if I cut in?"

Richard scowled at him and replied, "As a matter of fact I do. There's plenty of other witches here, find your own."

"Excuse me, but the witch you are dancing with is mine, so too bad, I'm cutting in," Draco growled and pushed Richard away from Hermione. Richard was seriously thinking about hexing Draco, but something in the younger wizard's eyes made him hesitate. Draco gave him such a murderous look that he backed down. Richard put his hands up in surrender. "She's all yours mate."

Hermione looked at Richard and then Draco. She couldn't believe the macho man act Draco had pulled. Disgusted, she walked off of the dance floor and headed for the exit of the club. When she walked out of the club, she stopped to collect her thoughts. She had no idea where she was going to go. She could go home with her friends, but they were still in the club and she had no desire to go back there. She had decided to go to her parents' home when she felt strong arms wrap around her. The sensation of disapparation enveloped her.

When she realized that she was in Draco's apartment and his arms were still wrapped around her, Hermione tried to push him away. Draco was not letting go. He pulled them to his bedroom and kicked the door shut. He threw Hermione onto the bed and he quickly moved over her, pinning her arms down. She struggled against him, but he was too heavy. She looked at him as he breathed heavily and stared back at her. After a few moments, he began to speak.

"What the fuck was that all about? I'm gone for a few minutes and when I come back you're dancing with some git?"

"You weren't just gone for a few minutes you jerk! You seemed to be enjoying yourself with those two whores on the dance floor," Hermione spat as she began to try and push him off of her again.

As pissed as he was, Draco was very turned on by all this. "Those two stupid bints caught me off-guard and pulled me onto the dance floor! If you had scrutinized this more closely, you would've seen that I never even danced with them. As soon as I could push them away, I left the dance floor to get back to you. I couldn't believe you were with that arse Richard Buckley!" he growled.

"What did you expect me to do? Let's get something straight Draco. I'm not going to stand by and watch you carouse with your friends and their little entourage of whores! Now get off of me because I have no intention of staying here with you!" Hermione hissed.

Draco shook his head as he looked down at her. "You aren't going anywhere. I fucking love you Hermione. I don't want anyone else. Why can't you get that through your stubborn head?" he asked as he moved his head down to hers and kissed her softly.

Hermione tried to turn her head away, but Draco caught her bottom lip, gently sucking on it. This action melted her resistance and she kissed him back. They both felt the tension ease away from their bodies as passion replaced their angry feelings. Draco removed his hands from her arms and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her up against him. Hermione put her arms around his neck and sighed as she ran her hands through his hair. When they broke their kiss, Draco looked at her and gently pulled at one of her curls. Hermione smiled at him.

"I'm sorry if I overreacted. It's just that I love you too and I hated seeing you with those witches; I didn't know what was happening. Oh Merlin Draco. Is it going to be like this whenever we go out? Will your friends ever be able to accept that we're together?"

"The hell with Blaise and Theo. I can't believe it took me so long to realize what ignorant prats they are. I love you, you're mine and I want everyone to know it," Draco said softly as he planted soft kisses on her cheek and neck.

Hermione closed her eyes and tilted her head back to give him better access. It drove her crazy when Draco kissed her this way. Draco gave a small smirk as he kissed her; he knew exactly what he was doing as he removed her top and lavished attention on her breasts. Hermione was so anxious to take off his shirt that a few buttons popped off. He shrugged it off and let it fall to the floor. Draco sat up and proceeded to pull off her skirt. In his haste to get her clothes off, he ripped her tights to shreds. Hermione gave him a shocked look and then giggled when he chuckled, telling her he was sorry. What a tumultuous evening this was turning out to be!

Draco couldn't wait any longer. Everything about this evening had him so turned on. He loved the fact that Hermione loved him but she wasn't going to take any shit. He plunged into her as she gasped with surprise and delight. She moved with him and met his every thrust until she felt that familiar tightness forming. As her climax overtook her, Hermione screamed out his name. Draco's thrusts became more urgent as her walls closed in on him and his release followed. His breath came in short spurts as he came into her and growled out her name.

As they caught their breath and calmed down from the excitement, Draco slowly moved from Hermione to his side of the bed. He pulled her to him so that her head was resting on his chest. As he traced circles on her back with his fingers, they fell asleep, happy and satisfied that another hurdle had been moved out of the way of their relationship.

The next morning moved quickly, for the young couple had overslept. They had only about 30 minutes to spare before they had to meet Hermione's parents for brunch. Hermione took a quick shower while Draco ran to the guest bathroom, taking a quick shower there. They dressed quickly and made it to the café with a few minutes to spare. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were waiting and had gotten a table. As he and Hermione approached the table, Draco was relieved to see that her parents seemed just as apprehensive as he felt. Hermione introduced them and the conversation was a little slow to start, but as the meal progressed, it began to flow more naturally. Hermione was glad to see that although her dad had given Draco quite an inquisition initially, her parents seemed to like him.

They amicably parted ways outside of the café. Mr. and Mrs. Granger watched as Draco and Hermione walked away, hand-in-hand, and Draco smiling down at their daughter as she said something to him. Mrs. Granger turned to her husband.

"I do believe our little girl is in love," she said with a small, wistful smile on her face. She knew this day would come, but it was still hard to believe that Hermione was no longer their little girl. She was now a confident, beautiful woman.

Mr. Granger embraced his wife and kissed her forehead. He sighed as he nodded in agreement. "I have to say I agree dear. I can only hope that Draco makes our daughter happy or there will be hell to pay."

Mrs. Granger smiled and playfully nudged her husband. "I'm quite certain Hermione can take care of herself but it's good to know her dad wants to protect her."

Hermione's father laughed and they began to walk back home. He knew he was an overprotective father, but he only wanted the best for Hermione.

The next few months passed quickly for the couple. Draco accompanied Hermione to the wedding of the century, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. The world of magic had gotten used to the fact that Draco and Hermione were a couple, so there was no tension at the wedding. As the evening came to a close, they were dancing to a slow song. Draco held Hermione close, his arms wrapped loosely but possessively around her waist. Hermione had her arms entwined around his neck and her head rested on his chest. She sighed happily for it had been a beautiful wedding and she was able to share it with the man she loved. She smiled as she felt Draco softly kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear.

"Are you having a nice time love?"

Hermione nodded as she looked up at him. "I always have a nice time with you Draco. This has been a wonderful evening. I'm so happy for Ginny and Harry."

The song finished and the guests gathered to wish the couple well as they left for their honeymoon. Draco stood behind Hermione and held her close to him as they watched Ginny and Harry leave. They told everyone goodbye and disapparated to Draco's apartment.

Once there, Hermione yawned and went into his bedroom to change into her nightclothes. When she came out, Draco had changed into a T-shirt and boxers. He was sitting on the couch in the living room and he patted the spot next to him. Hermione sat beside him and leaned into him as he pulled her close. She nuzzled against his chest, but then something in the pocket of his T-shirt poked her cheek. Hermione lifted her head and rubbed her cheek.

"Draco, is there something in your pocket?"

Draco bit his lip and let out a deep breath before he answered. "Hermione, these last few months have been incredible. I want us to share an evening like we did tonight, but instead of celebrating another couple's wedding, we'll be the celebrants. Will you marry me?" he asked as took a ring from a pocket on his T-shirt.

Hermione's hand fell from her cheek as she looked at Draco in surprise. She was speechless as he took her left hand and placed a one-carat diamond and sapphire ring on her ring finger. She stared at her hand and looked at Draco. He was wondering if maybe this had been the wrong time to ask her, but suddenly she crawled into his lap and embraced him. With tears of joy in her eyes, she nodded. "Yes, I'll marry you Draco Malfoy."

Draco let out a sigh of relief and stood up with Hermione in his arms. He swung her around as she laughed happily. "You have made me the happiest man in the world Hermione Granger soon-to-be Malfoy!" he shouted.

Later, Hermione would find out that Draco had approached her father a few weeks before to ask for Hermione's hand in marriage. This was one of the best moves Draco could have ever made. Mr. Granger felt that Draco had the utmost respect for Hermione by doing this. After a long talk, he was confident that Draco truly loved his daughter and would make her happy.

Since it was March, they set a date in October. Hermione had suggested a date the following year, but Draco wanted to get married as soon as possible. If it was up to him, he and Hermione would elope, but he knew that his mother and Hermione's would have his head if they didn't get a proper wedding. The two women had met and were now planning the wedding. This was going to be quite an event, for there was going to be two weddings: a traditional muggle one and a wizarding one. There were still relatives of Hermione's who had no idea she was a witch, hence the muggle celebration. Draco went along with all of it. He would do anything for Hermione.

When the summer arrived, Draco traveled with Hermione to Montana for Raylene's wedding. Draco was taken aback with Raylene's boisterous manner, but he soon grew fond of Hermione's American muggle friend. He could see that the young woman was genuinely happy for Hermione and was looking forward to attending their wedding in October.

The guests at Raylene's wedding couldn't stop staring at Draco and Hermione as he twirled her around the dance floor. They were such a gorgeous couple and they seemed to have this ethereal glow about them. Draco and Hermione were oblivious to the stares; they only had eyes for each other.

During the wedding reception, Hermione was approached by Gabe Somerson of Cowgirl Blue. After she introduced him to Draco and a bit of small talk, Gabe asked her if she would be interested in representing Cowgirl Blue on the rodeo circuit again.

With no hesitation, Hermione turned him down. Gabe gave her a sad smile as she showed him her engagement ring and told him she was getting married in October. When Hermione had introduced Draco as her fiancé, Gabe figured she would turn him down, but he had to try. It was going to be a difficult task to replace Hermione and Raylene.

When the evening ended and they were back in their hotel room, Draco turned to Hermione.

"Do you regret leaving this life behind? I heard Gabe ask if you wanted to go back."

Hermione walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I don't regret a single thing Draco. At one time I thought this was the life for me, but I'm right where I need to be. I can't wait for us to start our life together."

That was all Draco needed to hear as he took his future wife to bed.

**I decided to complete this one, hope you enjoy it. I have another idea for a story and it won't leave me alone! Thanks again to everyone for following this story, the reviews, and adding this one to your favorites. See you next story!**


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